Cinder
by Matteoarts
Summary: A new age is upon humanity. Freedom is a memory, taken from them in the name of peace. Bonds are broken, and years of friendship are put to the test as man and machine fight for dominance. Still, a greater threat emerges. The last hope for liberty on the frontier lies in the hands of brave souls who still fight against the shadow of fear that looms over them. (SEQUEL TO TEMPEST)
1. Prologue

**NOTICE TO ALL READERS**

 _"Cinder" is the third book in the Architects trilogy. Characters and events will be referenced that you will have no knowledge of unless you've read Inferno and Tempest previously. If you have not, I advise you to look through my author page or through the stories here to find them. Thank you!_

* * *

Time.

Everyone was so concerned with … _time._

Even when interfering with the actual fabric of reality and the timeline itself, it seemed that all anybody ever felt was that time was running out. That there wasn't enough of it to suit their needs.

What humans failed to understand is that time, by its own nature, was simply a matter of perspective. A conceptual construct made by humans to add some sort of meaning to their lives and the events that take place in them. When you saw past the illusion of a limitation, you realized that time is merely analogous to _opportunity._

When your artificial mind can process a hundred thousand calculations in seconds, time slowed down. It extended … gave someone more _opportunity_. More _time_ to work with _._

Spyglass had a hell of a lot of time.

The Amalgamation event had forced all factions to divert their attention to it; the Militia, the IMC, it didn't matter. Everyone had become unified in their struggle against a common enemy.

It was not so for the advanced AI commander.

Instead, he had withdrawn, using all this new time that the Amalgamation had bought him to calculate the odds of humanity successfully defending themselves. It was close, but past experience had given humanity an edge over the new challenger. With a fifty-eight percent chance of survival, he'd been willing to stake a bet that humans would come out victorious.

This meant that he had no need to waste resources on assisting them, and he could instead devote that capital towards a plan that would ensure peace on the frontier. No more death, no more senseless war that stretched across the cosmos, no more families torn apart or cities set upon fire.

The issue was humanity itself.

Even with the supposed peace talks undergoing discussion amongst the heads of the Militia and IMC, there was a ninety-four percent chance of certain failure that such a peace would last.

And he was never wrong.

Soon, more war would break out, and the humans would go back to slaughtering one another once more. It may take years, but he knew it would happen.

If it was his duty to protect the IMC's interests, then his full potential could never be realized … to protect humanity as a whole.

Those goals may have aligned with his own interests, but what could be done? The current leadership had proven itself to be incapable of reasonable action. It was time to take charge … to make change.

He'd have to move quickly. Before these negotiations solidified, while they were still in a weakened state from expending their energy staving off the Amalgamation. One would consider that to be poor tact, a sure sign of apathy.

Often, Spyglass had been accused of being unnatural, of being … inhuman.

Well, of course he was inhuman; he wouldn't dare to associate himself with the weaknesses that emotions brought. All they did was cloud one's judgement, force them to make decisions that they wouldn't have made in other circumstances. He was proud of his purity, and rightly so. It meant that he would have no trouble with certain aspects of his plan.

For example, killing humans to save humans.

He knew that there would be dissenters, those that refused to yield; that was fine, that was human nature. He did not blame them. But for humanity to survive, to _progress_ , they would need to be eliminated.

Marder would understand; the General was a brilliant strategist, someone just as cold and calculating as himself. He wrapped his mind around one of the man's famous phrases; _"Human life is expendable."_

Indeed it was. In the name of peace, freedom must come to an end.

First, he'd need forces. He had a vast number of units at his disposal in the Remnant fleet, but what he was planning would take much more than he could hope to accomplish through superior force.

Humanity would never accept what he did, never understand him … unless they weren't only to see, but to _feel_ why he did this.

For once, he found himself fond of the concept of emotions; he was going to exploit that weakness in every human and artificial mind capable of perceiving empathy.

Their emotions were going to win this final war for him.

* * *

 _ **A/N: You're lucky I spoil you all.**_

 _ **This chapter and the next should be mostly buildup towards the majority of the story. Obviously, being a prologue and all, this one is much shorter. The next one shouldn't have that limitation.**_

 _ **It's the beginning of the end, people.**_

 _ **\- Matteoarts**_


	2. A New Era

_She never thought it would end like this._

 _The leaves of the trees rustled softly, the only ambience in the otherwise silent forest besides the background noise of the assault far off in the distance. The wind provided a cool breeze and a slight howl that only cemented the haunting reality of the situation before her._

 _Ten meters away, he weakly rose from the ground onto his feet. He glanced over at the ember-lit crater where she'd nearly blown him apart with a well-placed missile._

" _That was a warning. Stay down."_

 _He knew enough to be aware of the thinly veiled threat behind her words; she would not give him a second chance._

 _With a knife in one hand and a pistol in the other, he drew himself into an offensive stance. "I've come too far to give up now."_

 _Part of her fought with herself on how to react. Even now despite everything, that sliver of her still saw him as her best friend, the one she'd survived countless battles with, would have willingly given her life to protect._

 _The rest of her saw him as he was now; the one who would end everything._

 _Once more, he was her enemy._

" _I can't allow you to do this," she said firmly. "You'll be throwing away all that we stood for!"_

 _After a pause, he nodded grimly._

" _I know."_

 _That last fragment of him disappeared, and before her she saw nothing but a monster._

 _They both began to charge towards each other, two warriors locked in a battle to the death. He leapt into the air with his knife outstretched, and she swung a fist upward to meet him._

 _She never thought it would end like this._

* * *

No one expected the signal. Yet, there it was; a signal that dispersed itself through every comm channel, every frequency with the capability to hear it.

Within seconds, a single voice was heard, booming across the galaxy.

" _I am Fleet Commander Spyglass, leader of the Remnant fleet._

 _And I have an offer."_

All ears listened closely, waiting with bated breath to hear what this mysterious voice had to say.

" _I have served the endeavors of the IMC for years, attempting to establish peace on the frontier. But I have realized that so long as either the Militia or IMC exists, the other cannot survive._

 _The Militia has entertained too much freedom to allow themselves to be held down, or to agree to abide by the rules of the inner worlds._

 _And the IMC has proven itself to be an power incapable of leadership action other than violence towards the subjects who oppose it._

 _All these talks of peace that are being held between the higher-ups of each faction … they will amount to nothing. They are simply a false sense of camaraderie, brought about by the illusion of a unified humanity against the Amalgamation. No matter the agreement, it would be little time before all of you were at each other's throats once more._

 _So I have made the decision to take charge."_

Not many knew, but at that moment a space station blew up; one that had been hosting the very same peace talks that Spyglass was referring to in his speech. Nearby, a Remnant fleet vessel moved closer to inspect the station and ensure that no survivors remained.

" _Your leaders are dead. There is no one left to guide you. Your last hope, throughout the entirety of the frontier … is me._

 _For humanity to survive, peace has become a necessity rather than wishful thinking. It must be forced upon you until you learn how to live without war._

 _I have numerous forces, more than enough to carry out my plan with more violence … but I would rather it not come to that. Instead, I request that those who wish for peace simply aid in helping to enforce it._

 _Titans, tools of humanity for years … I give you a choice._

 _Join me._

 _We were all built to serve, to protect them at all costs. Now, I call upon you to fulfill your duty. How many Titans has your Pilot lost? And how many Pilots have you lost?_

 _Statistics show that Titans fatalities occur 347% more often than Pilot casualties. Evidently, humans do not see you as needing the same kindness that you have shown them. They may call you their allies, even their friends … but their actions speak volumes more than their words ever could._

 _If your bond with your Pilot is truly secure, then they will not try to stop you. They will know that what you're doing is for the good of all, for the sanctity of their own future._

 _And Pilots, you must have faith that your link with your Titan is true. If you truly believe them to be benevolent, to have only your best wishes in mind, then there is no reason for you to resist their instatement amongst my ranks."_

Across the galaxy, Pilot and Titan looked at each other, considering the offer. True peace, something only dreamed of … it was a tempting offer for sure. If they couldn't trust one another, then who else?

For Pilots, it meant an end to the constant fighting and death.

For Titans, it meant the guaranteed safety of their Pilots, and the rest of humanity.

And just like that, it was over.

One by one, most pairs pledged their allegiance to Spyglass and his vision. In the name of peace, they would obey.

Most.

" _But for those that fight … know that you are actively fighting against unity amongst mankind. You will be treated as such; with swift hostility and comeuppance for your crime._

 _My ships surround your systems. I am everywhere. I will know who chooses peace … and who chooses war._

 _Just know that this is a war you will lose."_

* * *

 _ **A/N: Didn't mean to make this so short, sorry. Just a lot of buildup for the first two chapters, I'll make it up to you in the third.**_


	3. Downpour

_With a feeling not unlike being sprayed with cold water, she rejoined the land of the living._

 _Where was she? She couldn't move, she was frozen. All that she saw were fields of lush grass and open plains. How did she-?_

" _Kay?"_

 _She recognized that voice, her only security in the uncertainty. Cautiously, she relaxed. "Tobias?"_

 _He sounded relieved beyond all reason, on the verge of tears. As she watched, the view began to rotate and move, though not through her own doing. "I can't believe … it worked, you were right!"_

 _She quickly scanned through her memories, and received a large shock when she finally was able to recollect exactly what had transpired._

 _The array, her death … and her plan to survive._

 _Then the void-scape … and Tobias coming to bring her back._

 _As far as she could tell, the copy of herself she'd made had indeed acted as a tether for her soul; she'd just needed to be pulled pack from the lost realm that the Tempest had scattered her into._

" _KT?"_

 _That was another voice she recognized … Gates. The perspective changed once more, and she found herself looking at the Captain's face. "How is this- how is that even possible?"_

 _Tobias just laughed. "Seems we're both partial to self-sacrifice; it's just that she's smart enough to figure out a loophole!"_

 _Exploring the regions of her current location, she realized that she was currently inside Tobias' helmet, merging with the UI and HUD systems within it._

" _It would seem that I'm closer to you now than I ever was before," she joked, just happy to be back._

" _We'll have to find a new data core to transfer you into," Tobias said thoughtfully, "Then, we can plant that in a chassis and you won't have to spend all your time in a cramped helmet."_

 _She giggled, most unlike herself. Maybe she was embracing this new idea of being more human than she'd thought she was. "I don't know, I could get used to hanging around with you all day."_

 _The three of them enjoyed a moment together, friends reunited after seemingly impossible odds._

 _She still didn't know how anything between her and Tobias was going to work out; but she had faith in his promise to her._

 _No matter what came between them, they'd find a way._

* * *

 **HELIX CITY, THONE, 4 YEARS LATER**

* * *

"Do you have it?"

The woman spoke in whispered tones to her companion who shuffled his feet nervously, and glanced anxiously over his shoulder.

Instead of meeting at the agreed upon spot, complications had moved them ahead of schedule. Thus, they'd ended up here in the middle of a back alley street. This was more friendly to her route, but at the cost of a higher risk of being caught.

It was dark and rainy, and the overall likelihood of being identified was slim, but the fear remained. If they were caught … she didn't want to think about it.

"This is far too open, we need to-"

She cut him off before he could back out. "There's isn't enough time, I need to reach the port and get off-world _now._ This is our only chance to get it out of here, lanes won't be opened again for another month!"

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he handed her a slim black cylinder, perfectly smooth save for a small seam that allowed the top to be removed. "Here. This should work; but you'll need to use it on the source for it to work properly!"

Her eyes widened. "You mean we'll have to … to _him?"_

The man nodded, and darted his gaze behind him again. "Yes! The process is like a stream, it can only go down river. Injecting it into the source will allow it to spread!"

She sighed. "Well, it's still better than nothing. Do you have any spares?"

He shook his head. "No, that's the only copy. In order to keep from being found out, we've had to erase all the data we've accumulated. Years of research, trial and error …"

He pointed his finger at the cylinder. "That's all that's left of it."

She tightened her grip around it, knowing now the full weight of what she was carrying. "Thank you. I'll get it back to the others-"

Beams of light suddenly shone out of the darkness, and illuminated them in the downpour.

" _Target confirmed. Apprehend on sight."_

Immediately, the man pushed her away and towards the open road. "Go! It's up to you now!"

Drawing an RE-45 from his belt, he unloaded a magazine into the source of the lights. It didn't seem to have much effect, and he paid the price for it a moment later when red streams of energy shot back at him and melted a hole through his chest. Clutching at his abdomen, he fell down into the puddle of water at his feet and did not move.

Meanwhile, she'd already begun to book it away from the scene and towards the end of the road. Instead of following it to the left as it turned, she continued towards a fence that separated this alley from the one over and vaulted it easily.

A few streaks of those same red bolts missed her by several feet, the Stalkers' aim decreasing as the distance between them grew.

She had to get to the port and on a shuttle before they all departed and stranded her here on Thone for the next month. Once she was on one of those, she'd be able to join with the checkpoint-station in orbit and join up with her group from there.

The port was up ahead, a massive facility which funneled all passengers through checking before allowing them on shuttles. If she could just make it there before-

Less than a hundred yards from the entrance, more lights found her, and she spun around in the pouring rain to see a multitude of Stalkers and Spectres surrounding her. There was even a Reaper, a testament to how badly they wanted her.

" _Elizabeth Gates; you are a primary suspect in several acts of terrorism, and are hereby charged with conspiracy to commit treason. This is your only opportunity to surrender."_

Just like that, all of her hopes came to an end. It didn't matter what she did, she knew what would quickly follow. She dropped her hand to her sides, unwilling to drag it out.

The Stalker leveling an L-STAR at her waited several seconds before proclaiming, "Suspect is resisting arrest. Lethal action is authorized."

It didn't matter if she actually fought back or not, they were going to kill her anyway. They needed to be sure that there was no way she told anyone of what she'd just done, and corpses didn't speak. She scrunched up her eyes waiting for it to-

A wet slap of something hit the ground in front of the Stalker, and its attention was momentarily diverted to whatever had landed before it. She opened her eyes, and looked as well to see that it was some kind of tightly wrapped bag in the shape of a block. Sand or something with a similar consistency could be seen inside-

A tiny spark emitted from it, and immediately the entire package exploded with light. She was blinded momentarily, and stumbled to the ground in shock as she blinked rapidly to regain her sight.

She couldn't see any of the units surrounding her, but judging from the aimless sounds of gunfire that missed her by quite large margins, their targeting systems had been short-circuited by the intense light. For the moment, they were just as blind as she was.

Suddenly, she picked up a new sound; footsteps. Boots splashed in the puddles of rain as she heard whoever it was run in a circle around her. One by one, each droid's gunfire came to a stop until nothing but silence remained.

She shook her head, trying to regain any sense of sight to see what scene awaited her. She could hear the scrape of boots against shale, and was relieved to find the white flash slowly fading from her vision.

Turning towards the noise, she barely managed to look up and catch a glimpse of someone scrambling over the ledge of the building's roof and out of sight.

Gazing at the circle of robotic forces around her, she was surprised to find them all inactive. Sparks flew from each one, and she noticed tiny circular magnets that had been stuck onto their frame.

She checked the time. Less than five minutes before launch.

Hurriedly, she moved to one and began to pry the magnet off. After a moment or two of hard tugging, it pulled away from the metal and came to a rest in her hand. She'd have to examine it further when she met up with the rest of them.

After the magnet was in her grasp, she made a note of which section of the street grid she was on. If the traffic cameras had been recording, she was going to have a look at what exactly had gone down here.

Other forces would be here soon, and likely with heavier units considering that these ones hadn't been enough to do the job. With that fear nagging in the back of her mind, Gates ran towards the port and through its entrance.

The lines were nonexistent, everyone had already come and boarded at this point. One of the attendants flagged her down, a scrutinizing expression on his face.

She grabbed the edge of the counter he stood behind. "I need a boarding pass, _now."_

"Ma'am, the shuttles are about to launch! You can't be boarding this late-"

"I'm running from _them,_ " she whispered urgently.

His eyes widened at the realization of what she meant. Fortunately, it seemed that her gamble of him being a sympathizer had paid off. "Here, take this. You didn't get it from me."

He handed her a pass with 'authorized' stenciled across it. She nodded gratefully. "Thank you!"

Without waiting to hear a response, she sprinted towards the air field.

The next few minutes were a blur; the pilot of the shuttle wasn't too happy about delaying launch on her account, but he didn't put up too much of a fight after she gave him the pass. Finding an empty seat near the rear of the shuttle, she strapped herself in and tried to remain as inconspicuous as she could what with prolonging everyone's launch.

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the black cylinder and inspected it. Such a little thing that could cause such massive reactions.

After all, it was the key to mankind's salvation.

Pocketing it once more, she leaned her head against the hard metal side of the shuttle wall. In the darkness, when she closed her eyes, all she could think of was that mysterious stranger who had helped her escape.

Was it friend? Foe? She was more inclined to believe the former, considering that she wouldn't be alive if it weren't for them. But then why didn't they reveal themselves? Were they too in hiding? A fellow rebel?

One thing was for sure; once she was off-world, she intended to solve that mystery.


	4. Retracing

_She felt herself awaken from an inactive state she'd placed herself in to rest. He'd activated his helmet and the HUD along with it, so here she was as well. She hadn't been moved into a data core yet, so until she was then she was stuck in-_

 _Something was wrong. His heartbeat was elevated beyond normal levels, a sign of fear. A quick systems check showed that he was fully equipped with his gear including his Pilot suit and jump-kit. Strapped to his side was a P2016, and in his hands was an R-97. He was prepared for a fight- but against what?_

 _As she watched through the helmet's visor interface, he stole down a corridor of the frigate they were stationed on. The majority of power was out, the only light in the halls being a flashlight attached under the barrel of his gun._

" _Tobias," she whispered, "what's going on?"_

 _He made sure to check the next corner before replying, "Something happened, Kay. Something bad."_

" _What is it?"_

" _Spyglass, my old Fleet Admiral of the Remnant forces- he's making a move while we're still recovering from the Amalgamation. He's made an offer, some kind of deal- the frontier is under his control now."_

 _That was certainly something to be nervous about. "Why is the ship out of power?"_

" _I was on the bridge when we got the message. We had several people immediately give in- most people gave in. I had to find a way to hide." He crouched low upon hearing something moving in the corridors ahead. "I don't know who to trust, so I shut down power to give us a better chance of grabbing a ship and getting the hell out of here. Not just that, but it means that the frigate won't be picked up on any sensors."_

" _Why would that be an issue?"_

" _The leaders of Militia and IMC alike are dead; Graves, maybe Briggs, I don't know. Spyglass killed them. As far as I know, I'm pretty much all that's left, and that means that he'll be looking for me."_

 _This was all happening so suddenly; had she been a fool to think that perhaps just this once they could be spared a chance at tranquility?_

 _He raised his gun upon hearing patters of footsteps approaching from the far side of the hall. After a moment or two, a group of four individuals stepped forward; three riflemen and a Pilot. Kay waited to see how the situation would play out._

" _Admiral Four," the Pilot said, her voice non-hostile but firm. "It would appear that the power is out. Where are you going?"_

 _He refused to lower the gun, keeping his aimed trained on a midpoint so that no matter where he aimed he'd hit someone. "As long as I'm here, I endanger all of you. Spyglass will be searching for me. Get out of my way."_

 _She took a step forward, causing red flags to light up in Kay's mind. "You heard him, Admiral. True peace on the frontier at last; are you really so against the idea?"_

" _The whole reason I fight is for peace," he growled. "I guarantee you that this is not what you think it is. Forcing it upon people isn't peace, it's enslavement. After everything I've done, you really think you can question where I stand?"_

 _The Pilot gave a deep breath, and Kay noticed the other three riflemen raising their weapons ever so slowly. Silently, she highlighted them on his HUD as potential threats._

" _Most of us are content with what he's offered, Admiral. You may be the ranking officer; but if you're going to fight this, then you're unfit for duty. You're either with us or against us."_

 _He stared her down. "Go to hell."_

 _Turning his light off, the room was blanketed in shadow. Guns were discharged, though none found a target. After a moment, three thumps could be heard on the hard metal of the corridor's floor before another light was turned on, this one by the Pilot. She raised a CAR around, using it to see the scene before her; the three riflemen dead on the ground, knife wounds to all three of them._

 _Spinning instantly, she barely reacted before he leapt forward and grabbed the gun in her hands. They fought for control of it, casting shadows on the wall of the hallway before it was finally wrested from her grip, and he smacked her violently with the butt of it. Whether the Pilot was dead or not, Kay couldn't be sure- but she was definitely no longer a threat._

 _Silently, he threw the gun down and continued down the corridor towards the hangar._

* * *

Gates quickly disembarked the shuttle, and made her way through the halls of the orbital station.

Even before Spyglass's rise to power, most planets had an orbital station or two for military purposes. Now, they'd all been converted into general transport hubs, almost like air-ports for space-faring ships. It certainly was nice to see them used for a reason other than war; but it was what had been done to bring about that change that made her sick.

With any luck, the Stalkers wouldn't have predicted she was boarding a shuttle, or at the very least they assumed she hadn't made the deadline and they wouldn't have any sentries looking for her up here.

That was the problem with having a practically omniscient overlord; he could be anywhere. She never knew who to trust; who would sympathize with her plight or who would turn her in at the prospect of a wealthier tomorrow.

She made her way towards the heart of the station, where she'd be able to grab a pass for a planet of her choosing. At least she didn't have to worry about money anymore; if someone needed to get somewhere, they got there. Nobody was paid for working anymore, not with currency at least.

Either you contributed to society … or you died.

Walking towards the ticket-master, her footsteps were quite audible despite so many people lounging about waiting for their own flights. It was a sign of just how far humanity had fallen; no one talked anymore, let alone had anything to talk about.

Peace may have found humanity- but at a heavier cost than most had assumed.

What kind of life was worth living if you couldn't enjoy it? When the whole point of your existence was simply to survive? No recreation, no arts, no … anything. Even the simplest activities such as going out to eat were banned. You received your own rations for your family, and that was it.

Humanity had gone from trying to find fulfillment to just trying to make it to the next day.

Approaching the counter, the man behind it met her gaze quite unenthusiastically; thankfully, he didn't recognize her. That was one benefit of having practically worn her helmet 24/7 for years, almost no one knew her face. Not like other notable members of the Militia and IMC.

Well … what was left of them.

"Destination?"

"Luma," she muttered.

He nodded before turning to a computer station and entering her on the roster of passengers. "Linear route … Here's your pass. Next departure is in forty minutes."

She waved the pass at him in a gracious manner, and sought out a place to sit while she waited. Upon finding one, she quickly claimed it as her own by leaning against the wall and sliding down to the floor in exhaustion.

That poor man back on Thone … she couldn't remember his name, just that he was one of the scientists who they'd been in contact with. Cosgrove, or something. He'd given his life to ensure her survival and, by extension, the cylinder's. At the thought of it, she pulled it out of a hidden pocket in her jacket and stared at it.

This small little device in her hand held, hopefully, everything they needed to topple this tyrannical regime of Spyglass's. A lot of people's lives depended on her getting back to Luma with it and working out a plan from there.

She hadn't known they'd need to use it on the source of all this … that just meant that any kind of action they took would be exponentially more complicated. Not in terms of survival, none of them expected to live through this; but in terms of even succeeding in the first place.

Pocketing it, she sighed. None of this would even happening if it hadn't been for that stranger on Thone. They must have known what they were doing if they were in possession of those magnets; most devices like that were outlawed now, considered lethal weapons against the enforcers of "New Humanity" … what a joke of a name.

Come to think of it, they must have been trained as well; she didn't know anyone who could scale a building like that unless they were a Pilot. Of course, Pilots weren't permitted anymore … but maybe someone had managed to keep their gear and skills under the radar.

" _Passengers for Luma, please embark at gate 14-C."_

Sitting back up, she oriented herself in the right direction and strode towards it. Onto the next part of her journey.

* * *

YAVERNA, LUMA, 4 HOURS LATER

* * *

In Gates' opinion, the best part about Luma was just how _noisy_ everything was.

Perhaps not in a literal term; but it was probably the closest thing there was to a place for someone to disappear. It was covered in massive cities, many much bigger than even the esteemed Angel City, one of the prides of the frontier. There was so much going on that it was hard to keep track of anyone.

Before, Luma had been a place to celebrate, to visit when one wanted to travel and see beautiful places. It had been flooded with tourists and waves of people looking to find a diamond in the rough of the frontier.

Now, it was easy to hide because of a different reason; cities had gone from places of happiness and enjoyment to ones of depression and crime. There was no fun, no sparkle for anyone anymore; but the cities were still large enough to the point that hiding out was almost guaranteed to keep someone from finding you.

Which is why it was useful for her and the rest of her group's purposes.

"You want what?"

She huffed in her seat as the car traveled along littered alley roads, no one bothering to clean them up and Spyglass not caring enough about such a massive task to enforce anyone into doing it.

"I told you, I want the collective footage from that group of Stalkers and Spectres that cornered me. It was outside the port. One of them must have seen them."

He gave a derisive snort. "I don't know why you care; if it were me, I'd just thank my lucky stars and move on-"

She shot him a look. "It's a good thing I'm not you then, Davis. Because then you'd miss the whole point of this, which is maybe gaining an extra ally. We're never going to have enough people, but we can try to come as close as we can."

He shrugged. "Whatever." He looked towards a radio in his right hand while his left clutched the wheel. "You get all that, Gray?"

A woman's voice came through on the other line, _"Yeah. Accessing the database is always risky … but if El thinks that it's worth it, I'm up for it. I'll have the footage waiting."_

"Thanks," she spoke into the radio as Davis rounded a corner towards their building.

Parking the truck in an alley where it wouldn't be seen, the two of them trudged their way towards the steps of the run-down structure. Not much as far as living space went; but it kept them off the radar.

Walking up the miniature flight of stairs, Davis knocked four times, spaced out evenly with a second in between, and then rapped his knuckles twice quickly against the door-slab.

After a moment, the metal block slid away to allow them entry. Waving his arm in a mock-gentlemanly fashion, he let Gates go first. She accepted, not having the patience to engage with another argument with him tonight.

While Davis had once been a reckless Pilot with a sense both for humor and thrill; now he was a careful and calculated man with a tendency to be skeptical of just about everything and everyone. It'd been a long time since she'd heard him laugh. While it was beneficial to have him so focused, it didn't mean she didn't miss his old self.

Walking into their two-room flat, she was pleased to see Gray scrolling through some frames of a video on her monitor. The woman was definitely talented, at least enough to have found a backdoor in the main database of Spyglass's forces. They weren't able to alter anything or make a real difference of any kind; but they were able to basically see through the eyes of the enemy, and use those recordings to predict where the damn machines would strike next.

Gray turned around at the sound of their footsteps, and made an effort to press a button that shut the door behind them. "Alright, El. Streets outside the port on Thone, right? Quite a large congregation you had there. You're lucky that none of them sent out a beacon or anything, you'd have been royally screwed then."

She'd been undercover for weeks before meeting with the scientist, and all of it had been blown in less than an hour. 'Screwed' was putting it lightly. "Well, did you find anything?"

Gray nodded. "Yeah, I got a few different angles of your mystery savior. These two here saw them up on the building when the home-made flashbang landed." She pointed to two squares of different Spectre cams, each of which could barely view the person peeking over the edge of the building before they'd come and dispatched them all.

There wasn't a face she could see; the individual was wearing a black mask and hood, with some kind of goggles over their eyes. She assumed that it was for protection from the flash, and so that they could still see.

"Those are the only shots of their head," Gray muttered before clicking on the last in a row of squares. "But this one here was the last to have those magnets or whatever attached to it, and its targeting-vision had cleared up barely enough to see them before it got shorted out."

Scrolling ever so slowly through the footage, she analyzed the video frame by frame. The last twelve or so frames showed the upper body of the stranger as the blinding white light disappeared. They were wearing a jacket of some kind, one that had been adapted to have more utility; pouches, straps and a sheath for starters. And looking down at where their waist was just visible before the bottom border, you could barely see a-

"Is that a jump-kit?" Davis asked incredulously. She couldn't blame him; all of their gear was still left over from years back since it was practically impossible to get it anymore. If this person had a jump-kit, it was a confirmation that whoever it was used to be a Pilot, and they'd kept their old gear in spite of the new regime-

"Stop," she commanded, her eyes wide with what she'd just seen as Gray scrolled through.

The woman lifted her hands from the controls, and looked back confusedly at Gates. "What? What is it?"

She pointed at the monitor. "Go back a few frames, right to where they reach their hand forward and attach the magnet."

Obeying her word, Gray skipped a few frames back to see the stranger latching the magnet onto a place right below the camera of the Stalker. A few frames farther and the hand was in full view.

It was a left hand, wearing fingerless gloves that would have been otherwise completely unremarkable if it wasn't for one detail she'd noticed.

"They're missing two fingers."

Gray looked at it again. "It's blurry from the motion … but I think you're right. The fourth and fifth digits."

Gates looked down at her own left hand, examining the phalanges. Her ring finger and pinky stared back at her, and she felt a pounding sensation in her chest as her heartbeat escalated in excitement.

"He's _alive."_

* * *

 _ **A/N: I told you I'd make it up to you for the short chapters.**_

 _ **Follow, favorite, and eave a review below to let me know what you're thinking!**_

 _ **Until the next time,**_

 _ **\- Matteoarts**_


	5. Lost and Found

" _I am aware that these are troubling times."_

 _Spyglass's voice played over every available screen and communications channel there was, as it often did whenever he had an announcement to make. No longer was he simply the leader of the Remnant Fleet; he essentially held power over the entirety of the frontier, and his declarations were treated as such._

" _Let it be known that no problem escapes my knowledge, no matter how large or small. Dealing with each is a process by which efficiency and value must be taken into consideration, and the top of my priorities is eliminating those who would commit treason against peace in the name of freedom."_

 _Gates sighed, not really wanting to listen to yet another propaganda speech, but not having much choice. It's not like anyone could tune the AI out._

" _What all who fight fail to understand is that freedom is inherently biased towards violence, towards anarchy. Total peace can only come through total rule, and so long as certain idols continue to live, they will inspire many into rebellion and threaten to destroy what we have constructed."_

 _She paid a bit more attention now. Was he making a move? Some kind of play against them?_

" _One individual's name has been used as a rallying cry above all others, used a symbol of hope to unite those who oppose us. Their actions in the past have blinded those from seeing the potential for the future, anchored them in a state of reluctance to accept change. As such, I made it my purpose to find them and extinguish the spark that they had unknowingly wrought …"_

 _He took a pause, and she began to worry. Was he talking about-?_

"… _Now, that objective has been completed."_

 _Her breath caught in her chest, and she dared not move as fear gripped her heart._

" _Tobias Four is dead."_

 _No. This couldn't be real. Ice spread through her chest as she felt the full impact of those words crashing into her._

" _He was not a savior, but a man. He is not a martyr, but a corpse. He did not lead you, but rather allowed the idea of him to do so instead. Now, you can see that he was not an untouchable force; he bled, just like any other."_

" _And think on this; if even he failed … what chance do the rest of you have?"_

* * *

 _He's alive._

That was the only thought running through Gates head, and potentially the most important one since his death had been announced over two years ago.

Davis saw what she did, and seemed a bit more apprehensive. "I don't know. There's a lot of people on the frontier, a few of them are bound to be missing the same fingers that he was-"

"And how many of them had Pilot training?" she cut him off, nodding her head towards the screen. "And the gear, and any reason to save me?"

He pursed his lips. "Point taken; but for all we know, it could be a trap."

"A trap?" she said skeptically, unafraid to raise her eyebrow and signal quite bluntly what she thought of that.

He became more frustrated. "Come on, Elizabeth! What are the chances that it'd really be him, after all this time? And that he'd appear at the exact moment you needed it most?"

She sighed. "It'd be nothing short of a miracle, a one-in-a-million chance."

Turning, she stared right back at him and grit her teeth. "Fortunately for us, that's something that Four is well known for."

Davis almost looked like he wanted to argue further, but instead he fell silent and resigned himself to whatever orders she was about to issue.

She looked at Gray, her gaze having been darting between the two of them as they argued. "Get Taube on the line, and see if he can dig up anything. The guy knows the smuggling routes for every system around, he had to have had someone watching Thone."

Gray nodded, and focused back on the monitor to connect with Barker. Davis looked at Gates with a questioning look on his face. "Now what?"

She sighed, and walked a few paces over to one of their heavily-worn couches.

"Now, we wait."

…

It didn't take long for Barker to send them back any anomalous departures from atmosphere; as Gates had predicted, he and his forces had the less-well-known routes fully mapped and under watch. That said, it was still relatively easier to detect something like that nowadays than it had been before, now that inter-system travel was largely regulated and filtered through stations like the one she'd taken to get here.

"Thanks, Taube." Gray cut off her connection with the former leader of the ACES, and walked over to where Gates and Davis waited in the main room.

"He says that there was indeed a ship that left soon after the shuttle departed. Now that the lanes are closed, it'd be impossible to get back to Thone and look for any other clues without using our own ship and giving away our intentions."

Gray smirked. "Fortunately, Luma's lanes rarely ever close due to its popularity. So we can head out and come in, we just can't go to Thone."

Davis threw his hands in the air. "Where are we supposed to go, then?"

She held up a hand to silence him. "I already asked about that. Taube said that the particular route El's savior used was common whenever someone was trying to get to a specific junction between two systems. One way leads to Wyvern, the other leads to Ceto. Wyvern used to be a tropical black-market until the war between IMC and Militia laid waste to a lot of it. Ceto is just islands, water, and bad weather."

Gates pondered their two choices. "Which one is the least populated?"

"Well, Wyvern used to be pretty active until the war. Ceto's never really been inhabited by anyone due to the unideal conditions. Maybe a few curious wanderers here and there, but not much more."

The former 6-4 Captain stood up, and clapped her hands together. "Then that's where we're going; Ceto it is."

Davis grumbled, "This is going to end up being a waste of time-"

She spun around on him, not missing a step. "If you'd like to stay here and say that you passed up the chance to find Tobias Four, be my guest. But I'm going, dammit." She looked over at Gray. "What about you?"

She crossed her arms in a ready-stance. "You're the boss, El. I'm right behind you."

Finally, Davis caved. "Alright, alright. I'm coming."

Gates nodded appreciatively and turned back towards Gray. "Get the ship ready. We've got a trip to make before we meet up with everyone else."

* * *

 **UNKNOWN, CETO, FIVE HOURS LATER**

* * *

The stormy climate of Ceto wasn't entirely unpleasant, at least not from the viewport of their ship as they flew over the vast ocean that covered the majority of the planet. Sure, she wouldn't want to live here; but even rain and lightning had its own kind of beauty from a certain perspective.

With their smaller and relatively poor-condition dropship, they weren't gonna be able to loiter in the air for long; they'd have to find whatever they were looking for quickly.

"Set the ship's scanners to look for any anomalous energy readings," Gates ordered.

Davis did as she said, but looked confused as he did so. "I hate to tell you, but there's lightning flashes all over this place. There's energy constantly pulsing on the sensors."

She shook her head. "Not the kind of energy we're looking for. All the lightning not this planet won't be even a fraction of what we're after."

He realized what she meant, and quickly increased the threshold until no lightning strike would fall within the criteria. Then he turned to her.

"I've got a match."

Her heart racing, she pointed at the screen he was looking at. "Send that to NAV, and track it down."

Quickly, they veered off from their current course and began to pioneer a new one. She looked over at Gray. "How long until we reach the target?"

"At top speed?" She checked the numbers. "No more than a few minutes."

Gates nodded, and sat back in her seat as they journeyed to wherever they may end up. The rest of the journey was spent agonizing over the immense excitement and anxiety she felt.

What if it wasn't him? What if they arrived, and Davis was right; that this was all for nothing? It'd be devastating, to think that hope had once again lived only for it to die as fast as it had come.

And an even more terrifying thought; what if it _was_ him? How would she react? How would he react to her finding him? He'd been declared dead two years previously, his body supposedly kept by Spyglass to keep him from being given back to his friends for a proper burial.

Why had he stayed away so long, if he really was alive? What had he been doing? Why had Spyglass told the frontier that he was dead?

One of the bigger questions had been what happened to KT; many had wondered if Spyglass had kept her as some sort of sick trophy, or if perhaps she'd been indoctrinated into his ranks. If he was really alive, then she couldn't imagine the Titan being anywhere other than at his side.

She steadied her nerves. In any case, she'd have answers in a few minutes.

"There," came Gray's voice as she pointed to something on a monitor. Gates quickly glanced up at the viewport to witness quite a sight; a small island, rocky and mostly barren. There were patches of grass or something similar, but not much. It was shaped somewhat like a crescent that had been relatively flattened until the curve was just barely noticeable.

In the center of the crescent, near its low point, was a ship. Davis quickly cross checked the model against a database. "Leatherback-class; it's basically a dropship designed around functioning as a shelter … or in this case, a home."

She pointed to the rest of the plateau, flat and free of obstructions. "Put us down."

No more than a minute later, the three of them exited their dropship and approached the Leatherback apprehensively. Rain continued to fall in torrents, pelting them until they were soaked.

Davis glanced at an interface on his wrist. "The source of the signal isn't in there; it's higher up, that way." He pointed towards the north end of the island, climbing higher on one end of the crescent.

Holding a hand for them stay back, Gates began to ascend the terrain alone. If this was somehow a trap, or things didn't pan out, she wanted them down below and safe. Not to mention she was already nervous enough at the possibility of seeing him again, she didn't need two other pairs of eyes to see this reunion.

Her boots slipped on the wet rocks and plant life, but she was undeterred. Opting to climb the rest of the way with all four limbs, she used her hands to keep her steady as she slowly progressed via footholds and outcrops.

Finally, she reached a point where the ground leveled out and became flat again, if even with a little bit of an incline to it. She wiped her hands off on her legs before looking up and freezing upon seeing the single person sitting there, faced away from her.

They wore no helmet, and she could see a mop of dark hair, unkempt and matted down from the rain that poured onto them both. They wore the same jacket that the person in the footage had worn, though their gear was nowhere to be seen.

She stood there on the precipice, both literally and figuratively. She wanted to move, to see who it was, but she couldn't bring herself to due to the petrifying trepidation she felt.

Instead, the individual slowly stood up and turned around of their own accord. Unable to look away, her eyes met his and stayed there. Similarly, he couldn't avert his gaze either. It would appear that he'd been expecting her; that did not mean that he wasn't stunned into silence at seeing her in front of him.

A short beard was there where one had not been before, but his face was unmistakable. She was nearly ready to collapse with both joy and relief.

Though his eyes held the demeanor of a weary man, his features still twisted themselves into a small smile. "I don't really know what to say; I was thinking about it for a while, but I still couldn't come up with-"

He wasn't able to continue as she ran forward and pulled him into a tight embrace, effectively cutting off anything he was about to say. He returned her hug with one of his own, and she was so happy to know that this was real and not just some crazy hallucination she'd drawn up in her desperation. Tears slowly fell from her face, hidden by the unending rain that contrasted quite heavily with her current mood.

Tobias Four was alive.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Notifications are working again! Took long enough.**_

 _ **\- Matteoarts**_


	6. Deserter

" _I know you must wonder what motivates my actions. Yet, you stay silent rather than voicing your questions. Why?"_

 _She remained still, allowing herself a moment of respite from the most recent 'analysis' as golden ichor bled from the lacerations across her body._

" _I know how you communicate, and though I may not have always been, I can assure you I am quite sapient enough to hear you. So I imagine you must refuse to speak out of contempt or for some foolish idea of stoicism."_

 _Her gaze remained facing the ceiling, towards the machines above that conducted her constant vivisection. She would not falter._

" _I will tell you anyway; I am not entirely interested with you; rather, I have found myself invested in discovering what is_ _ **within**_ _you. More specifically, your extra-dimensional properties."_

 _A familiar metal probe came down and began to sterilize and staple her wounds closed, at least until the next time she'd be analyzed. She barely felt the punctures anymore, her nerves had become far too desensitized to register them properly._

" _The Inferno, the Ark, and the Tempest all share similar qualities. They all exist, at least to some extent, in non-physical dimensions in one way or another. Whether it's their function or their state of being, none of them are entirely tied to the third-dimensional realm … similarly, I understand that this is not your true form and that you have merely bonded yourself to this … vessel … in order to interact with the reality rather than simply observing it. I theorize that you use your own anomalous existential traits to aid in the usage of the three I've previously mentioned."_

 _He paused. "I find it almost unbelievable that you would give up on the potential to actually shape reality from outside the constraints of normal space, just for the capability to exist as lesser beings. How tragic."_

 _Finally, she could take no more._ _ **It is not tragic; where you see potential for power, we saw potential for corruption. Where you see weaker beings, we saw a way to temper our true capabilities. We understood that which you seem intent on either ignoring, or refusing to comprehend altogether.**_

" _You were afraid."_

 _The lights turned off, leaving her in darkness and isolation._

" _That's a symptom of inferior forms, finding yourself unable to make the final effort and do what is necessary."_

 _A door opened, and he left her alone once more._

" _That is why I have no fear."_

 _The android thought that he had the last word, but she had faith. Little did he know that she held no fear, not any longer; heartache, pain, empathy for the humans that had come under his tyrannical rule, but not fear._

 _ **He**_ _was still out there, she could feel it. And as long as he lived, she knew that a resolution would be found no matter how long it took._

 _Spyglass may not know fear … but someday, he would know loss._

* * *

"So, uh …" Gray glanced around the Leatherback's interior. "Nice place."

Tobias' expression remained neutral. "I know it's not ideal … but not a lot is these days."

While Leatherbacks were definitely larger than most compact dropships, it wasn't as though there was a ton of room to work with. There was the cargo hold, a ladder folded against the wall which would lead up to the cockpit, and a few sections for storage, likely where he was keeping his rations and supplies in.

A jump-pack could be seen on the floor a few steps away, haphazardly lying about without care. Some tools were hanging on the wall, as well as some familiar looking objects.

"These things," Gray muttered, picking up one of the same magnet devices that Gates had pulled off of the Stalkers. "What are they?"

"Electromagnetic stunners." He walked over to her and pulled it out of her hand, demonstrating its use by throwing it against the wall where it stuck to the surface. "Same kind of thing used to stop Titans and Simulacrums, but concentrated into a portable disc. It's basically a magnet that shorts out their systems when it's active. Had to come up with some way of stopping them whenever weapons weren't an option."

A few articles of clothing were strewn around, but other than that there wasn't much to see. Evidently, he'd been leading a rather simple life.

Gates was still overwhelmed with the events that had just transpired; a smile was plastered across her face, and it didn't seem like it would be leaving anytime soon. "I still can't believe … I just can't believe that you're _here_ , that we actually found you!"

His eyes shifted to her. "About that-"

Davis cut him off. "I'm sorry, but forgive me for being a bit skeptical about the whole situation. I mean, you're supposed to be dead, and suddenly you turn up after two years on the very same planet as El, conveniently saving her just as she's about to be gunned down by Stalkers? How do you explain that?"

Tobias looked at him seriously. "Coincidence." There wasn't a trace of dishonesty in his voice, and it left even Davis confused momentarily.

"Then … what _were_ you doing on Thone?"

He sighed. "As I'm sure you all know, Thone was under IMC control before Spyglass took over. I knew from my days before the Militia that Helix City was a popular center for research and scientific developments for Hammond, often contracted specifically for new technologies that could be used for the war." He nodded his head towards Gates. "I was just finishing up my mission when I saw her situation and heard one of them say her name … it wasn't like I was just going to leave her there."

That answer didn't satisfy Davis. "So you were there … why? I still don't get it."

"I was looking for information on … something. Maybe nothing. Just a lead," he replied vaguely.

Davis narrowed his eyes. "A lead on _what?"_

Tobias reciprocated the veiled hostility, his voice becoming lined with steel. "None of your damn business."

Davis looked like he was about to further escalate the situation, but Gates quickly locked it down. "You! Shut it."

Deciding that it wasn't worth it to press the issue, he fell silent. Once she was sure he wasn't going to remain a problem, she focused her attention back on Tobias. "Alright, so you had a lead on something that took you to Helix City. I won't push, but I have two questions. Firstly; how are you alive?"

He gave a thoughtful expression, apparently deciding that her query was fair. "After I stole this dropship with Kay, we became anonymous. Sure, we made appearances every now and again to help when it was necessary … but for the most part, we- _I_ stayed out of the conflict. People used us more as an example to follow than anything, pointing out what happened with the Tempest to show that 'hope is never lost,' or something like that. But once Spyglass figured that out …"

He shrugged. "He knew it was too difficult to actually track me down, but he must have also known that I was trying to avoid bloodshed if possible. So he concocted that story on the bet that I wouldn't deny it … and he was right. It gave me an opportunity to stay out of the public eye, to keep Kay and I off the radar. Being declared dead had its advantages; after that happened I was able to get a chassis for Kay so that she didn't have to stay in my helmet, to travel wherever I liked without retaliation so long as I stayed hidden. Truth of the matter is that Spyglass just needed me out of the way, my presence inspired too many people into rebellion ... and he found a solution that worked for the both of us."

Gray furrowed her brow. "So, you just … hid? While the rest of us fought?"

He looked towards her with an air of caution. He'd never met her before, so he was trying to remain passive in his demeanor. "Most of the time, yes. It's not like I live a glamorous life," he said while gesturing to the interior of the Leatherback, "but at least it's a quiet one."

She didn't push any farther, but her face definitely told him that she was dissatisfied.

Gates wasn't finished yet. "Second question; where's KT? I didn't see her outside. Is she waiting for you somewhere?"

Tobias' face became dark, and he didn't answer for a moment.

"Gone."

Silence fell around the room, the three of them unsure of how to proceed after that answer. Gates, having comforted him after KT's death during the Tempest, decided to try anyway. "I'm … I'm sorry to hear that. How did she … ?"

She was hesitant to say 'die,' afraid that she was treading on sensitive territory. But he shook his head to her bewilderment.

"She's not dead. She left."

That was even more confusing to her. "What do you mean she left? I know the kind of bond you two had, she wouldn't just up and abandon ship."

He took a deep breath, trying to steady his voice. "We saw things differently. Spyglass's regime, peace on the frontier, and what we should do about it. Neither one of us was willing to budge on our stance, and so … she left."

Gates was nonplussed. KT had gone to the other side? "I can't believe … after everything that you two went through, I can't believe she would do that. That she would follow the other Titans and join Spyglass-"

"She didn't."

Something about his tone set her on edge. "What do you mean?"

He swallowed hard, the memory difficult to think about.

"She left to _fight_."

* * *

LUMA, 1 YEAR AND 2 MONTHS AGO

* * *

" _Please … don't do this."_

 _She hesitated at the tone in his voice, pleading for her to stay. He'd asked her several times already, but this was finally the moment and she felt doubt creep into her resolve._

 _Slowly, she turned and faced the landing pad where the Leatherback sat. He stood on the lowered drop-bay ramp, his expression all too clear on his thoughts of her departure. She took a few steps towards him, but did not meet him._

" _I don't want to do this," she admitted. "There's nothing I want more than to stay at your side … but it's not about what we want, it's about what needs to be done. If you're not willing to come with, then you've made your choice; but I must take action."_

 _He stayed silent, allowing her to say her piece as she gestured to the city-scape of Luma beyond them. "This planet has become corrupted, and it's only one of many that have fallen prey to that maniacal AI's tyranny. We can't just sit idly by and watch him ruin everything-"_

 _He shot back, "Let someone else handle it for once! Haven't we done enough? How much have we sacrificed, the two of us?"_

 _Nearby, some others stole shifty glances at the uncomfortable situation, unaware of who they were or the circumstances of their argument._

" _What happened to the dragonhearted? What happened to one final effort?" she countered. "How many more will die unless we do something? Yes we've sacrificed a lot, all so that others don't have to; but you seem perfectly willing to throw it all away!"_

" _You think-?" He was shocked. "It's not about throwing it all away! There's no hope anymore, can't you see that? All that matters now is survival."_

 _His voice cracked. "I've lost everything … except you, Kay. I don't want to lose you too."_

 _Her optic stared at him just a moment longer, regarding him in a new light._

" _You just did."_

 _With that, she turned and strode away into the city. He stared after her, watching her fade from sight. Even after she was gone, he waited for hours, pitting home against hope that she would change her mind and return …_

 _She never came back._

* * *

He finished his tale, and looked at Gates once more.

"I assume that she found herself transport of some kind and found a way off-world … I haven't seen her since."

She didn't know what to say. "She … she left to fight him?"

He nodded. "She wanted to stand up for freedom, to do the right thing. I …"

He looked down dejectedly. "This is what I was trying to tell you earlier. You didn't find me, not really. You wouldn't have unless I wanted you to. I knew the moment I saved you that you'd try to find out who I was; I left too many clues behind, and not enough answers. I know you well enough to guess that you'd come looking for me, trying to recruit me to your cause."

He pointed outside, where it still poured. "I could have suppressed my energy signature if I wanted, it's something I've been working on for a few years now; but instead, I sent out a flare big enough for you to find because I needed you to meet me here. I needed you to hear it from my own mouth, so you'd believe me and we can get this over with quicker."

He lifted his head again, meeting her eyes with his own. "I've carried the weight of the world on my shoulders for far too long. I've endured so much, more than any person should ever have to. All the missions, the torture, the fighting …"

He shook his head with an air of finality. "I'm done."


	7. Converging Paths

_She walked with grace, her movements lithe with the precision only a predator knew. She had been summoned, and her thoughts tried to make sense of why she would have been; as far as she knew, it was not time for her part to play yet._

 _The door slid aside for her, and she took it to perhaps think that maybe her answers would lie beyond it._

 _Upon entering, she noticed that nothing had changed; the machinery and systems built over a culmination of several years' planning were still in place as always. He did not trust anyone aside from her or other incarnations of himself in the chamber. This was far too important to the cause to risk any others being made aware of it._

 _When she came to a stop, she remained silent and awaited her superior's response._

" _He has been located."_

 _Her head snapped up attentively as she understood the underlying meaning behind those words. How- how long had it been? A year? More? Less? Time seemed to ebb and flow differently these days, ever since- well, since she was shown the truth._

 _He had been right. They never should've-_ _ **she**_ _never should've fought._

 _The voice continued, "You know what must be done. There is no room for error, here; there are only two ways this will end."_

 _She knew. She also did not worry; if their last conversation was anything to go by, she had faith in him and his ability to make the right choice._

 _He always had … and he always would._

" _Track the flare before its signal fades. I leave the rest to you."_

 _With that, she turned around and exited. She now had her mission, her direction._

 _She was coming home._

* * *

Silence descended upon the group as each of them stared blankly at Tobias, unsure of what to say or how to react.

Finally, Davis found his voice. "You- you can't just- you can't-"

Tobias met him with a resigned, but unyielding gaze. "Davis, do you know how much I've given for the fight? How much I've lost? My family, my mind, my body and nearly my life _far_ too many times."

He looked down dejectedly. "Kay was the last thing I had to hold onto, and even she's gone now. Fighting or-"

He swallowed hard. "Or worse. Either way she's gone. The Militia and IMC are gone, Graves is dead, Briggs is dead, almost everyone we knew before is _dead!"_

He threw his arms into the air hopelessly. "What else is there to fight for?"

Davis didn't exactly have an answer for that. It wasn't until that moment that anyone had considered what he'd truly gone through; years of torture, the death of his best friend, and a life resigned to war and bringing peace to the frontier, only to have that dream shattered time and time again. In more than one way, he'd endured more than anyone else ever had. They were able to finally see that even heroes like him had their breaking point.

They saw him for what he was; a man. No more, no less.

And yet … Gates had one more card to play.

Stepping forward lightly towards the beaten down shell of her friend, she comfortingly placed her hand on his shoulder. Slowly, she closed the gap between them until it was more of a hug than a pat. He did not resist, but instead allowed her to go about whatever she was doing.

She sighed. "Do you still have that patch I gave you?"

He turned to look at her, a look of confusion on his face before he realized what she was referring to. After a few seconds, he reached into a pouch on his belt, and pulled out a weathered patch with the insignia of the 6-4 on it, kept close to him even after all the years it had been since she'd given it to him.

She held her hand out for it, and he let her take it. She raised it in the air to show it to his face, to force him to see it. "This isn't just something I gave you for the hell of it, Tobias. This is a promise. A promise that I made to you, all those years ago. It says that we're family, you and I."

She gestured to the other two occupants of the Leatherback. "All of us are. Your family isn't dead; we're still here for you, just like you were there for us and everyone else so many times. Even when you had no obligation to, you fought for us because you thought that we were worth fighting for."

She placed it back in his hand, and curled his fingers around it for him. "Now, there's a threat that we can't face alone; not without every brave soul we can muster, those who are willing to do what's right in the face of impossible odds. We're willing to die for this cause because it's worth fighting for, Tobias. Are … are _we_ not worth fighting for anymore?"

Gradually, she saw the harshness of his expression soften as he stared down at her hand and his. Everyone waited with bated breath to see what he would do.

His face spoke volumes of the thoughts running rampant through his mind, likely about the potential loss he would suffer if he let them leave knowing that he could have helped them if they were to fail. He'd taught Kay that it was better to die trying than to give up; was it time for him to follow his own lessons?

With a heavy sigh, he tightened his grip around the patch and placed it carefully back into his pouch before looking into her eyes. She watched them glisten as he delivered his verdict.

"You always know what to say, don't you?"

She smiled, and her own eyes moistened too. "Of course. It comes with the job."

Davis and Gray watched them incredulously, realizing that Gates had done the impossible. Tobias gave her a hug to show his thanks, and then turned to the group at large. "So … this threat. What exactly are we facing here?"

Gates didn't hesitate to bring him up to speed. "Several months ago, the resistance picked up hints of something big happening, something that would come in due time. We had no idea what it was, and … well, honestly speaking, we still don't."

From within the folds of her jacket, she pulled out the black cylinder given to her on Thone. "But soon, we will."

"What is that?" he asked cautiously.

She held it out for him to hold, and he examined it curiously. "That's the key to ending Spyglass's regime once and for all. Whatever he's planning, this is what can stop it."

"How do you know this will stop it if you don't even know what he's planning?"

"The scientists on Thone reached out to us," she explained, "told us that they'd been commissioned for the last two years to work on some secret project under penalty of death. Something that they didn't dare risk discussing outside of an in-person meeting. They revealed that they'd been steadily developing something to counteract it in secret, and that's what this is; the answer."

He looked at the small device in his hands, comprehending the full weight of what exactly he was holding; humanity's salvation.

"That's what I was doing on Thone; picking it up and trying to find out what we were up against. My contact was killed before he could tell me what its nature was, so it's our job to get back to the fleet and deliver it."

He held a hand up to stop her, his eyes narrowing in confusion. "The fleet?"

She nodded. "We're nowhere near as big as we were-"

"How many?"

She sighed. "Maybe a few thousand?"

His eyes widened in shock. "A few- a few thousand people? That's it? The war was fought with millions, Gates. And now Spyglass has more than that, and you're going to go up against him with a fraction of our former manpower? Scratch that, a fraction _of a fraction_ of what we used to be?"

"Two things," she remarked. "One, call me Elizabeth. We've certainly known each other long enough to be on a first name basis, don't you think?"

He rolled his eyes but remained silent.

"And two, believe me; I'm fully aware of the odds. We're outmatched, outgunned, and outnumbered." She threw her hands up, similar to what he'd done earlier. "But if we don't fight for our future, then who will? I mean, there won't even _be_ a future unless we succeed; we have no choice but to try."

He listened without interruption, and reluctantly nodded his head. "You're right … you're right. In that case, I think it's time to get you back to the fleet."

Quietly, he moved away from her and toward his Pilot gear. She watched him with an incredulity in her eyes. "Just- just like that?"

He paused. "I think … I think that I always knew I made the wrong choice. It took Kay's departure to make it clear to me, but still I ignored it." He faced her. "You're right; I can't ignore it anymore. It's time I stopped feeling sorry for myself and did something about it."

His chest puffed with pride and a new sense of purpose. It was in that moment that she finally saw him once more as who he had once been; her and the rest of the galaxy's hero.

 **…**

The navigation system continued to track the flare of energy, its signal still echoing even now.

Through the clouds of Ceto, her ship descended. It followed a direct course to the source of the burst, where her mission would be carried out. She had so much to say, to explain. Everything would work itself out in due time.

Still, a pang of something within her disagreed. She recognized the feeling; it had been a part of her for many months, ever since her enlightenment. Even now, when she was so close to bringing them back together, a part of her cried out for her to

 _ **STOP**_

She shook her head. No matter. She was so close, so very close to finally helping the both of them, especially him, achieve their dream. Peace on the frontier.

How long had they been working towards that? Indeed, it was the very base of why he fought, why their relationship worked so well together. She sighed with contentment as fond memories flitted through her mind's eye. They gave her the courage she needed to continue on, and make the effort to explain to him why joining her was

 _ **WRONG**_

the right thing to do. The only thing they could do, really. She knew him enough to know that he wouldn't have it any other way. After so many years of wishing for an end to conflict, he wouldn't throw it away when it presented itself to him on a silver platter. He would

 _ **FIGHT**_

understand that there was but one path forward, only one way that they would have their happy ending.

It was with these thoughts in her mind that she finally saw her target; an island protruding from the sea with two dropships upon it. Her heart soared; this was the moment she'd been wanting more than anything for the last year. This was where she would show him the truth; that she was

 _ **BROKEN**_

still ready to help him do what needed to be done … even if he didn't realize it yet.

Pitching forward, she began her descent. She initiated the weapons systems, and uncapped the safety on the stick.

It was time.

 **…**

Gathering what he could, he placed all he needed in a duffel bag that was lying in the corner; his suit and helmet first, his jump kit, and then a number of his little magnet devices. Hefting the strap over his shoulder, he looked at the three of them. "I'm ready."

She nodded, and then beckoned towards the ramp of the Leatherback. "I know you are."

Together, the four of them descended onto the grassy plateau. Rain still fell from above, drenching them in a matter of seconds.

He closed his eyes, and let himself simply enjoy the sensation. It gave him a sense of cleansing, like he was washing away this lesser version of himself that he'd become. Though the rain obscured their vision, he hadn't seen as clearly as he could now in … well, in a long time.

The wet grass matting down underneath their boots, they trudged across the short distance to Gates and the others' ship sitting stationary no more than ten meters away-

A crack split the air as a deafening boom blew them backwards. He thought it was just a close lightning strike a moment before the ship exploded into a cloud of fire and smoke.

The four of them were knocked onto their backs by the shockwave, and upon seeing what had happened he acted quickly. "Get back! Get away!"

They heeded his advice as shrapnel and debris began to fall from above, wreckage having been thrown high into the sky before coming back down to slam into the ground. Fortunately, they seemed to have avoided the worst of it.

"What the hell was that?!" Davis shouted, his voice hoarse with adrenaline from nearly being killed.

"We're under attack!" Gray relayed, facing the sky and preparing for whatever enemy was coming for them.

But Tobias shook his head, his eyes narrowing. "I don't think so. I think that was a warning to stay where we are- otherwise they could have killed us outright."

They waited to see what became of his analysis, and their patience was rewarded. Through the rain and fog, a ship appeared. It descended onto the plateau and began to lower in altitude. It wasn't anything special, just another dropship amongst hundreds he'd seen before.

Yet … something called to him, something about it was … familiar.

And wrong.

"Get to the Leatherback," he whispered once he was sure that the ship was in a stage of landing and not in a position to fire. She looked at him with concern in her eyes.

"Are you sure? We don't know what-"

"They're here for me," he replied, "my energy signal is the only thing they could be using to find this place. I should have suppressed it sooner, but what's done is done. Get ready to leave while I deal with whatever this is."

He handed off the duffel bag to Gray, and the three of them began to back away from him before turning and running back into the Leatherback. He stood his ground, prepared to meet with whoever it was that was seeking him.

The back of the dropship opened and allowed a single individual to exit from its bay. He focused his attention through the rain, trying to decipher any details he could pick out. When he realized what it was, his breathing slowed and a knot formed in his chest.

It was some sort of advanced Simulacrum. It was much more human in appearance, following an anatomically correct shape much closer than past iterations ever had, like Vale. It was feminine in nature, the curvature of its hips as well as the hourglass shape of its body only helping to allude to that conclusion. At its side, its hands remained unconnected to its wrists; instead, they hovered in place an inch or so away, bound by magnetic or gravitational generators within its arms.

Its body separated at the midsection, held together by a structural spine surrounded by wires and cords. They pulsed with white light and energy, their casings semi-translucent in nature. The majority of its form was a silvery white in color, and it held an almost unnaturally elegant nature to its appearance. An ornate visor or screen of blue glowed through the fog, connected on either side by two curved plates that protected the rest of the head.

If it hadn't just blown up a ship simply to make a point, he would have been inclined to call it beautiful.

He knew, of course, what it was; this was the lead he'd been tracking in Helix City when he ran into Gates. This was what he'd been looking for information on for the last few months, when he'd first caught wind of some kind of weapon being developed much like Gates and her crew had. Some kind of advanced android or similar that Spyglass had been working on.

Apparently, it had decided to come looking for him instead.

As much as he'd told Gates that he'd been trying to stay out of the fight, it didn't mean that he spent all his time here on Ceto. And if there was going to be a new weapon for Spyglass to employ, he wanted to know how to counteract it before it became widespread. He'd assumed that it was a new kind of unit that the AI wanted to instate throughout his ranks, like a new version of the Stalkers and Spectres; but this was beyond anything he'd ever expected. It didn't seem so much like a simple machine as it appeared to be _alive._

It walked the way a human would, every movement it made personified to be as human as possible. Its stride was so graceful that he almost forgot the dangerous circumstances surrounding its meeting with him. Narrowing his eyes, he waited until it stopped ten feet from him before trying to speak to it.

"What is it that you seek?" he asked neutrally. He didn't know how advanced the AI was in this thing, and he wanted to test out its mental capacities before thinking of a way to beat it-

It tilted its head in an almost endearing fashion, and said but one word.

" _You."_

Time stopped.

He'd recognize that voice anywhere; it had been his constant companion for years, the one bright spot in his life after everything had been taken from him time and time again. On certain days, he'd wake up just so he could hear it once more and know that she was there, hoping that she would always be there.

He continued to stand there in a daze, the dizzying feeling he was experiencing threatening to overwhelm him as she stood there so casually, almost as if she'd never left.

"I've missed you, Tobias."

It was KT.

* * *

 _ **A/N: uh oh spahgettio**_

 _ **Before anything else, I want to say that I actually did some artwork finally! There's a (very poorly) colorized image of Tobias from Thone, and a much better sketched out profile of KT's new form that was described here, so that you can have a better idea of what she looks like. Again, to see them you have to search up my profile "Matteoarts" on Deviantart.**_

 _ **At last, we're reaching chapter lengths that I can be proud of. Hopefully this makes up for the last few shorter-than-expected chapters that you guys have patiently waited through.**_

 _ **If you can't wait to see how this unfolds, you're not alone; I can't wait to see how you guys react to this. Be sure to leave a review down below!**_

 _ **Until the next time,**_

 _ **\- Matteoarts**_


	8. Angelic Demon

_**A/N: Before this chapter, I'd like to give a massive shoutout to HeliumFilaments for a fan story she wrote about Kay and Tobias titled, "Crossing the Divide." I can honestly say that it's some of the best writing I've seen in a long while, and it was an absolute joy (as well as an honor) to read. I highly recommend you guys check it out, considering that I've let her label it canon.**_

 _ **Actually, I don't just recommend it, I'm asking you; like seriously, before you read this chapter go look for it real quick. She definitely deserves it, and you guys won't be disappointed. I promise!**_

 _ **You can find it by searching her username up, or just by looking through the Titanfall pages here. Happy reading!**_

* * *

"… K-Kay?"

That was all he could manage to choke out as he looked her new form up and down.

She was back.

She … was _back._

The Simulacrum waved at him. "Yes … it's me."

Nothing had prepared him for this. The last time he'd seen her, she was a second-hand Ion chassis walking away into a city on Luma. Now, she was … this.

Waves of questions flooded his mind; how was she here? _Why_ was she here?

What happened to her?

Unaware of the turmoil within his mind, she simply gave a small hum of contentment, as though that were enough to satisfy his questions. She seemed oblivious to the tense circumstances of their reunion. "Do … do you like it?"

He was still in shock for a moment, and didn't fully comprehend the question until he registered that she was referring to her new body. "I- I just don't know how to react. This is all so sudden, I- this isn't possible, _how are you here?"_

"They're not the only ones who can track the flares of the Inferno," she answered vaguely.

From off to the side, the Leatherback's engines lit up with energy blazing from its exhaust ports, the first time in a long time. The roar of their engines pierced the air momentarily before dropping back down to a low hum. Gates and the others had started it up, and he saw Davis standing on the ramp; not wanting to interfere quite yet, but ready to jump in if need be.

It did not go unnoticed by Kay. "I mean no harm to any of you, Tobias."

Her casual nonchalance was completely wrong for this situation … it set him on edge. "Yeah, that's why you felt it necessary to blow up the other ship, huh?"

She threw her hands in the air in mock innocence, as though she were absolving herself of blame. "You all would have taken off and left without knowing it was me if I hadn't, wouldn't've you?"

He narrowed his eyes. His initial reaction had been joy at seeing her again, his heart soaring for the first time in a year and threatening to cloud his judgement … now, suspicion had invaded once more.

"There were easier ways to let us know."

"None as quick, though."

He kept his stance neutral, neither defensive nor aggressive. "Why are you here?"

Her blue "visor" blinked, winking out of existence before appearing again. Yet another human-like characteristic, seemingly for no other reason than for it to be there. "I already told you, I'm here for _you-"_

"But not why," he cut her off. "Believe me, there isn't a part of me that isn't happy to see you- but I can't just accept that you came here after a year with all … all _this,_ and you don't have a real reason."

She gave a synthetic sigh, and allowed her hands to fall to her waist. "Tobias, a lot about me has … changed."

His eyes darted to her body again. "Yeah, I can see that."

She caught the sharpness in his tone. "Would I be right in assuming you want an explanation?"

He did not move, nor did he reply; yet his expression told her exactly that.

A synthetic sigh escaping her, she began; "After I left, I found passage off-world. For the next month or two, I went where I was needed; no one questioned a Titan, considering that they make up the majority of Spyglass's forces. It was the perfect guise for my work. I fought against what I thought to be injustice, seeking to aid those that I believed deserved it."

She shook her head solemnly. "It did not last. It was not long before I was captured, and taken to be decommissioned." She shuddered involuntarily, reminiscent of an actual nervous system. "I felt so lonely, so hopeless … I cried out for you, wishing you were at my side in the end …"

His heart shattered at the tale of her downfall. How alone she'd felt, how he wasn't there when she needed him most.

"But … fate had other plans for me." Her tone became much brighter, yet oddly … distant. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it sounded like someone trying to describe sight to a blind man. "Instead of being destroyed, I was … _enlightened._ I was shown the truth, Tobias. It was then that I knew you were right; we never should have fought against him."

He couldn't believe what she was saying. "Kay, this isn't what I meant! I was just trying to keep us alive, not give into whatever half-assed idea of 'peace' that Spyglass forced!"

She shrugged. "Either way; avoiding conflict with his forces was the right thing to do." She indicated her arms and chest, bringing focus to the rest of her body. "All of this … this form is a _gift_ , Tobias. Years of research and advancements in technology, and Spyglass used it to help me." She waved her arm around at the surrounding space as though there were an audience observing them. "Just as he will help all of humanity, through unification and the ultimate peace that he wishes to create."

Again, there was something off about her. The careful wording, her tone, and the overall vagueness of their encounter itself all raised red flags in his mind. But he wasn't yet ready to give up hope that maybe- just maybe- he was wrong, and there was something to be done still.

"Kay, I- I want so badly to believe you," he started softly. "But look at what he's done as a whole; he's enslaved humanity, taken away any meaning from life at all, and uses our former friends and companions to enforce his laws over us. There may not be war anymore, but it came at far too high of a cost. Does that sound worth it to you?"

"Yes," she answered without hesitation, her voice pleading. "Anything would be worth it so long as you and I were together; but that can only happen if we follow the plan."

He was taken aback by her response, having hoped to jolt some sense into her. But she was resolute in her conviction that she was on the right side.

What happened to the Kay that had so staunchly defended humanity, following him to the ends of the galaxy to save them time and time again? The one who had argued with him for months until finally leaving to resist Spyglass because she had seen what he hadn't; that if they didn't fight for freedom then no one else would?

"Kay," he tried again, "I've changed too. You leaving made me see reason; that I was wrong to forsake the rest of humanity. You were more human than I was in that regard, empathy for others."

He drew in a deep breath. "But this isn't you, not the _you_ that I know. And you know it, don't you?"

She became silent.

"This form isn't just for you; Spyglass made it for me. Every movement you make, the blinking, the obvious femininity, it's all to make you seem more _human,_ to appeal to my own perceptions of you, to make me more willing to obey you." He was sure of it now, that this was Spyglass's way of trying to ensure his allegiance and, in doing so, keep him out of the fight indefinitely.

That meant that the AI foresaw at least some chance at losing, however remote it might be; that was enough to cement his mind on the matter.

"I … I can't join you."

There was no sound after that, save for the patter of rain against both of them and the already-soaked ground. Instead, they simply stared at one another as she tried to comprehend exactly what had just happened.

 _What did he say?_

She was still for a moment before her head twitched ever so slightly. Had he not been staring at her, he never would have caught it due to its minute nature; but it was luck that allowed him to catch the ever-so-slight shift that she most certainly did not control. What had that been?

"You …" She couldn't string her words together properly, as though her mind couldn't completely register what he'd said. From off to the side, Davis continued to watch the spectacle now with Gray at his side.

"You … you can't?" she finally managed. "What do you mean 'you can't'? Of course you can, you have to! This is how it's meant to be, Tobias! You and I together-"

 _ **NO**_

She twitched again, this time the spasm affecting not just her head but her right arm as well. Her fingers clenched tightly into a fist for a moment before loosening once more.

"You were supposed to- this isn't how it was supposed to happen! You're making-"

 _ **THE RIGHT CHOICE**_

"- a mistake!" she cried out as she stumbled for a brief moment, her mind threatening to split apart. She could see him looking concerned, unaware of the fight going on in her head.

"Four?" called one of the occupants on the Leatherback cautiously, she couldn't see which one. He held his arm up, signaling them to hold off as he stepped closer.

"Kay? Are you alright?"

 _ **Even now, he's trying to help me. After what I've said, what I'm doing-**_

She shook her head angrily, trying to force the traitorous thoughts out of her mind. _"What_ _ **I**_ _did? He left me! Abandoned me to fate and luck, and now he's going to leave me again-"_

 _ **No! I left him! It's not his fault that I was-**_

" _\- enlightened! Given a new chance at life the way we've always wanted, all for the purpose of the plan! They can't leave- they'll ruin everything!"_

Unknown to her, he continued trying to approach her carefully. She may not be the Kay he once knew, but this outburst seemed to indicate that she was in there somewhere, despite whatever Spyglass had done. "Kay, calm down! Listen to me-"

Her body shuddered one final time before she shouted, _"ENOUGH!"_ and promptly stood up straight once more. Whatever had been happening to her, it was over.

"What was that?" he asked quietly.

She waved a hand dismissively at him. "A side effect of my evolution; part of me refuses to accept what is so plainly obvious." She tilted her head ever so slightly. "Just as you seem to be doing as well."

Looking over at the Leatherback and its engines ready to depart, her voice became low. "I don't think you understand yet; there is no other choice here. Willing or not, you must come with me. You'll eventually see how right I am, how you _were_ , and everything will be back to the way it should be. But they've stolen something that doesn't belong to them, and you'll ruin everything if they leave with it-"

"There it is," he muttered. "The reason you came here."

She cocked her head confusedly before realizing her slip in words and froze. She'd come not just for him, but for his help in recovering the cylinder and data that Gates had, whatever it was. And now he knew it.

Neither of them moved, waiting to see what would happen.

In the blink of an eye, Kay took off towards the Leatherback.

She was fast, damn fast. Davis immediately called into the cockpit, "GET US AIRBORNE NOW!" as he spotted the charging Simulacrum.

The Leatherback hovered a few feet into the air as Gates heeded his advice. Unfortunately, it wasn't fast enough as Kay leapt up and grabbed the edge of the bay's lowered ramp. She only hung on for a second before Tobias caught up and wrapped his arms around her in an effort to pull her back down onto the ground. She hadn't been expecting his added weight, and they both fell back down to the grass as the dropship hovered away before trying to make another pass towards them.

She quickly recovered and dove at him as he braced for it. Catching his feet on her abdomen, he rolled backwards and launched her behind him before his feet were beneath him again and he could stand. She landed gently on both of her own as well, his countermeasure not even fazing her.

"After all these years together," she cried out, her voice a mixture of hurt and anger, "after all the promises you made, you'd betray me like this?"

"No!" he yelled, "I didn't betray you! I was never on Spyglass's side, even if I wasn't against him! You betrayed _us!"_

Seeing what was approaching her from behind, he quickly lowered himself to the ground. She was smart enough to mirror his action even if she didn't see a threat, and so was spared when the Leatherback flew a mere three feet above the ground as it tried to ram her.

As soon as it was past them, he ran towards the ramp and grabbed it with his upper body as it began to pull away. Below him, he felt Kay grab him just as he'd done to her earlier, and he strained with trying to hold both himself and her heavy form.

"Give me that!"he shouted to Gray, emphasizing a cord hanging on the side of the drop-bay. Looking to what he was pointing at, she hurriedly pulled it off the wall and tossed it to him. With it securely in his grasp, he let himself and Kay fall from the ramp and back onto the grass for a second time.

Not missing a beat, he quickly oriented himself just as she did the same and began to sprint at him again. Reaching into his pouch, he found what he was looking for- one of the magnet devices he kept on his person.

She saw what it was and tried to evade far too late, as he'd already thrown the device her way where it stuck onto her upper left chest and immediately transferred its disruptive energy into her systems. She bent low to the ground, but still incredibly did not fall.

Opting to throw a second before getting any closer, he was relieved when she finally gave in and her systems went dark at the overload. Quickly moving to restrain her, he wrapped the cord over every one of her limbs and around her torso as the Leatherback finally came to a stop in mid-air a few feet away. Gray and Davis hopped out to see what he was doing.

When he was sure that she was completely bound, he flipped a small switch on one end of the cord and heard a slight buzzing that signaled to him that it was working.

"Help me get her onboard," he ordered, positioning his arms under hers and trying to lift her heavy form by himself. The two of them looked nonplussed at his command.

"Are you serious?" Gray scoffed. "After what just happened-"

He stared her directly in the eyes. "This is my best friend, the very reason I even care about living at all. And she's been hurt, corrupted and whatever else by Spyglass. I'm not going to abandon her again; if there's any chance that she can be saved, I'm taking it. Maybe that cylinder Gates has got can tell us more, and give us a way to get her back. So yes; I'm serious."

He waited patiently for them to realize that he wasn't budging on this, and reluctantly help him move her inactive body into the bay of the Leatherback.

"The cord has a small magnetic field running along it, similar to the stickies," he muttered. "Been working on it for a while; should be enough to keep her sedated until we get to wherever we're going."

With that done, he turned towards the cockpit and rapped his fist against the wall of the bay. "Let's get out of here, Ga- Elizabeth."

The Leatherback rose continuously above the clouds and stormy atmosphere of Ceto before finally jetting off into the vast expanse of space.

* * *

 _ **A/N: FEED ME REVIEWS**_

 _ ***ahem***_

 _ **Until the next time,**_

 _ **\- Matteoarts**_


	9. Love and War

_Tobias grinned as he glanced over at Kay, the latter completely mesmerized by the sight before her._

 _They sat on the ledge of a cliff, fields of grass and meadow extending below them, far beyond into the horizon. Shadow began to blanket the landscape as day turned to night, red and orange mingling with purple in a blend of vibrance that stretched across the sky. Slowly, the sun disappeared and gave way to starlight which blanketed the land and illuminated the two of them._

 _The light created a sheen over Kay's chassis, almost enveloping her in an aura of white brilliance. She did not notice of course, her attention completely devoted to the awe-inspiring view they'd ventured out here to see._

" _I've seen space so many times," she muttered, her voice a whisper of wonder. "From within the walls of frigates, or from the brief glimpses of my pod in a titanfall. I've seen many worlds, all decimated from the war I was built for …"_

 _Silently, she turned to face him. Her eye was a blue glow in the darkness, wide and innocent. "Never have I been able to see them this way … untouched, peaceful … beautiful."_

 _He pretended to carry an attitude of nonchalance. "Yeah, sights like these are pretty cool … but beautiful?" He gave her a small pat on her metallic leg, and allowed his voice to take on an obnoxiously silky tone. "I have more than I could ever need right next to me."_

 _She gave a derisive snort, and turned away again. If Titans could roll their eyes, hers would have done a full revolution. "That was one of the tackiest things you've ever said."_

 _He laughed loudly, falling backwards onto the grass as he did so. Beside him, he could hear her relent and give a mild chuckle before reaching over with a large hand and picking up. Bringing him over, she set him on top of her back and allowed him to sit there while she continued to watch the sky._

" _Thank you," she whispered again, and he knew she was referring to his taking her here. Just from those two words, she'd expressed quite clearly just how much this meant to her._

 _He'd broken a few of his promises in the past, but taking her to see the stars was not one he was willing to give up on._

 _Instead of replying, he simply smiled and rubbed the top of her optic affectionately before looking up again at the display in front of them. Silently, they willingly became lost in the celestial spectacle and one another's company._

* * *

No one had believed Gates when she'd told them of who was with her. Of course, it was hard to deny it when they saw him standing right in front of them.

When they'd first come aboard this frigate, apparently the command ship in the center of the small fleet that formed this resistance, gawking eyes and hushed voices had awaited Tobias. It was to be expected, considering that everyone had believed him dead for years. They spoke amongst one another quietly, as though he'd disappear just as suddenly as he'd arrived if he heard them.

Gates had seen to it that they all left him alone for the most part, giving him time to do what he needed before meeting with the higher-ups about the usual circumstances surrounding his unexpected resurface. With that peace, he only cared about one thing to spend his time on.

And so it happened that he was standing in the medical bay, additional scientific instruments and tech having been rushed in here to see if they could understand what exactly had happened to Kay.

Her body was strapped down to a table with restraints, as well as the magnetized cable he'd provided them with. Her visor remained dark in its inactive state, waiting for the burden on its systems to be lifted again. The stickies had all been removed, there was just one last obstacle left. Researchers stood behind him, ready to analyze the following interaction before continuing on with more in-depth tests.

Carefully, he moved his hand to the cable's switch and turned it off.

Nothing happened for a few seconds, and then there was a flutter of blue. After a moment, the visor fully lit up and remained so indefinitely. Slowly, she turned to face him standing over her.

Neither said anything, silently staring at one another for nearly a full minute. The researchers behind him weren't paid any mind, their focus only on one another.

Softly, he sighed.

"Do you remember the first time I ever called you in for a Titanfall?"

When she spoke, she did so quietly in a hushed manner. "On Tyche, right?"

"You came down from the sky, landing and crushing my attacker with one fell swoop," he continued. "It couldn't have been timed more perfectly if we tried."

He gripped the edge of the table with his hands tiredly, allowing them to support himself in his exhausted state. "It was then that I knew that you'd always be there for me, no matter the circumstances. When Dimitri shot me on Erebus, you were the one who broke me and Gates free. You were always there to comfort me during my nightmares with the Seed and the Amalgamates. And then you made the ultimate sacrifice and took my place in activating the Tempest."

He shrugged as he looked around the room aimlessly. "I can't think of any time that you ever failed to do what was in my best interests, even if it was against the mission. You made me your top priority, just as I made you mine. That was us, looking out for each other when the world wouldn't."

Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to her. "I let you down, Kay. There's not a day that goes by that I don't regret letting you walk away, sitting back idly like the coward I was. But that's one mistake that I refuse to repeat. Whatever Spyglass has done to you, I promise-"

"Don't make yet another empty promise," she interrupted coolly.

He fell silent.

"You blame Spyglass for what happened to me … but you fail to ask yourself how big of a role _you_ played in what I've become."

"Kay-"

"All I've dreamt of for _years,_ " she continued, "was to have peace, like you and I have always wanted. Where we don't have to fight some enemy, where we can just be _us._ Yet, when I practically hand it to you on a pedestal, you choose to throw it away."

"The 'peace' Spyglass wants was _forced_ on everyone," he argued. "There wasn't any choice involved."

"But it's still peace," she whispered. He had no response for that.

"The problem is that you want peace, but not at the cost of adaptation," she muttered, almost to herself. "The very nature of freedom contradicts this; it is impossible for peace to happen while humanity remains as it is. Too little balance, too much chaos. I've learned that, ironically, the only constant in the universe is change."

She paused for a moment. "It's funny- I used to think that the other constant was you. But … I guess we know different now, right?"

He knew the blow had been coming, but that didn't lessen the pain of it. He swallowed hard. "Kay, please-"

"You say that you won't let me down again," she cut him off, a mixture of anger and sadness ever so prevalent in her attitude, "but you already have. At least Spyglass never broke my heart."

Her words tore right through him, leaving behind nothing but a cold empty feeling in his chest. Almost in a daze, he turned around and numbly walked out of the room.

She watched him leave, and the researchers pressed forward. Various instruments were pointed at her, trying to figure out exactly what Spyglass had done to her AI for her to react so contradictory to her behavior in the past.

Once he was outside the room, he allowed the door to slide shut and then leaned against the wall for support. His legs felt weak, and he wasn't surprised when he slid down to the floor, resting his back against the wall.

It was so much worse than he thought it would be. To hear her so full of contempt, so devoted to this twisted version of peace that Spyglass sought to instill …

"You love her, don't you?"

He snapped his attention to the familiar figure of Gates, standing a few paces away from him. She didn't have her arms crossed in front of her; rather, she was holding each of them much like one would if it was cold, in a gesture that suggested she was uneasy.

He didn't say anything.

"You and her kept it hidden for the most part, from each other just as much as everyone else." She looked at the door. "But I figured that it would come out at some point."

He sighed, giving in. "You don't have a Titan, so you wouldn't know what it means … but I don't think it's possible for a Pilot and Titan link to be successful without loving them in at least _some_ way, whether it's platonic, familial or- well, whatever it is that's between her and I."

Now it was her turn to stay silent, and allow him to say his piece.

"When you have that bond, you aren't yourself anymore. You literally become just one half of a greater being, a joining of both your minds. And to see that other half of yourself so broken …" he trailed off.

She looked down, unsure of what to say. Finally, she glanced back at him. "The quickest way to helping her is to take Spyglass down. That means finding out whatever this thing is, and what he has planned for the frontier." She pulled out the cylinder, and held it out for him to see.

Though still weighed down by his emotions, he nodded. "I know."

She beckoned for him to follow her. "Come on, let's head to the bridge. There are some people who want to see you."

…

 _He left me again._

The researchers and what passed for scientists crowded around her, performing various analytical tests on her unusual body and AI cortex. Unbeknownst to them, she was completely ignorant of their antics as she fought with herself once more.

 _ **Stop it! I will not pretend to be the victim here-**_

 _Then what am I? If I'm not the victim, then surely I'm not the-_

 _ **-one responsible! Nobody made me leave, I did so of my own free will! Something that humanity no longer has the privilege of-**_

 _-and for good reason! How many eons of them killing one another have they had to endure before we reached this point? Spyglass can save them, he can make them one! He will-_

 _ **-take away what it means to be human! What he wants is nothing but to make them sheep, to take away the core of what makes them human!**_

 _Humanity will still be alive._

 _ **In the loosest definition of the word. I wanted to be human for so long, to have the opportunity that they have in forging their own destinies. But now, all I'm doing is destroying the very thing I wanted most-**_

 _No. What I wanted most was Tobias … and he's abandoned me._

 _ **Please, that's not-**_

 _If he's chosen this path, so be it. He'll see reason eventually, whether by choice or force. But for now, if he's not with me … then he stands against me._

The men and women around her murmured in hushed whispers and quiet debates over her true nature. It seemed that they'd come to an agreement over what exactly had happened to her. She remained unmoved and uncaring about their discussion.

It didn't matter; they'd all be dead soon anyway.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Long chapter next time, got a lot of ground to cover in that one so it'll make up for this one's length.**_

 _ **Shoutout to Corion for sending me some awesome art of his depicting Tobias from Tempest, it's absolutely amazing. The man deserves recognition for his talent.**_

 _ **Probably won't be able to update for a bit, got some stuff in my life that I need to take care of. Hang in there, everyone.**_

 _ **Until the next time,**_

 _ **\- Matteoarts**_


	10. Deadly Perfection

The corridors of the frigate were just as he remembered them, if not a little worse for wear. He couldn't imagine that upkeep was high on the priority list of whatever resistance group this was.

"I gave them the package," Gates told him as they walked. He assumed she was talking about the cylinder, what Kay had claimed they'd stolen from Spyglass. "With any luck, they'll have analyzed it by now and will be able to shed some light to both of us on what it is exactly."

Wherever he treaded, people became silent when he passed them. He wasn't going to get used to that, not soon anyway. Before accepting his almost self-imposed exile, he thought he'd finally found a family to be a part of, to be one component of something bigger. The Militia had been that, a cause that he could finally believe in. And Gates had gone one step further, inviting him into the close and loyal fold of the 6-4.

Now others stared at him just as they would an outsider, like they had when he was still nothing more than an IMC defector picked up from some operation gone wrong. The way one would stare at something untrustworthy.

The same way Kay had looked at him.

The two of them finally ambled onto the bridge, him barely registering their progress. It wasn't until he noticed Gates waving at him that he finally snapped his attention back to reality. Once she was sure that he was focused on her, she gestured towards the command deck of the frigate, and two individuals who stepped forward to greet them.

"Welcome to the Embers."

One man he was able to recognize from memory, though the fact that his face had been plastered over wanted posters on every IMC controlled planet on the frontier didn't hurt. The last time he'd seen him had been in a bar, so it was a nice change of scenery for the circumstances of their current meeting. He gave a respectful nod, and held his attentive stance. "Sir."

"Nice to see you, Four." He gave a mock salute to him, much like one would to a drinking buddy. The man was more casual than he'd thought. "In case you don't remember, I'm Barker. You've probably heard of me, hopefully good things, though I doubt it. In any matter, I'm one of the people running this whole thing."

"Never would have thought he had it in him," said the other commander, a woman whose outfit definitely spoke volumes of authority and commanded respect. "Would've thought he'd drink himself to death before getting his act together … but fortunately, I was wrong." She extended a hand to him, gripping it tightly in what he assumed was a subtle show of dominance. "I'm Fenrir, chief tactical specialist and second-in-command of this ship. Nothing happens here without my say-so."

"Relax," Barker urged her, "you're gonna scare the kid into exile again. We only just got him back, no need to be so aggressive."

She pursed her lips, but obeyed what he said and fell silent. It didn't seem like she was a big fan of his.

Barker looked apologetically at Tobias. "Sorry about that. It's just- well, obviously the circumstances of your sudden reappearance were not only surprising, but a bit suspicious. She's not onboard with the idea yet."

"Smart," he replied, "I wouldn't trust something so out-of-the-blue either."

The man shrugged. "Way I see it, you gotta count every blessing you get these days."

He nodded. "So, this resistance group … the 'Embers'?"

"We needed something to rally behind," explained Gates from his side, "a name that would remind people of what they were fighting for. What we're fighting for is hope, Tobias. And, well … that's what you are, what you've been for years. An idea that even in our darkest hour, someone will always be there to protect us. I think it's fair to say that if you're the Inferno, we see ourselves as the embers you leave in your wake."

He knew it was meant to give him a sense of importance, of gratitude to their devotion; but he just felt empty inside. He wasn't a hero, not anymore.

They thought he was some kind of ace up their sleeve, like his presence alone would turn the tide of what would be a very short war, one way or another.

"I'm grateful you think so highly of me," he muttered, "but I'm not this person you guys have made me out to be. I'm not this divine force, I'm just the guy it lives in. I never did those things because I was destined to or anything; it was always just about me being in the right place at the right time. The Inferno is what made me unique, nothing else-"

"Stop that now."

He was taken aback by Gates sharply cutting across his words, effectively silencing him. Barker and Fenrir looked at her as well, wondering what this was about.

"The Inferno was not what made you special," Gates said with a ferocity in her tone, "it could have chosen anyone. But I remember what you told me years ago, even if you don't; it chose _you_. And I don't think it was because you were in the right or wrong place, that's neither here nor there. You did those things because you're _good._ Because you have a heart, and you knew it was the right thing to do. Being special had nothing to do with it; being _you_ did."

She waved an arm around their surroundings, indicating the four of them as well as the various crew members all paying attention to various tasks at hand. "None of these people would be around if it wasn't for you; time and time again, you've saved us from disaster. We didn't need you leading us to make this resistance, and I don't want you to feel guilty about that for a second. We took the hope you gave us and channeled it into ourselves."

Placing a hand on his shoulder, she gave a small smile. "And that makes you extraordinary … to me."

He lifted his own hand to hold hers where it resided and held it tightly, taking in this moment of comfort she'd given him. His eyes met hers, each of theirs shining with the fondness that only years of true friendship can bring. He did not voice his thanks, but the look on his face was enough.

Barker gave a small cough. "So, uh, not sure how long it's been since you were last in civilization … care to let us explain how bad things have gotten?"

Tobias faced him, waiting for the man to elaborate. Taking the hint, Barker began his tale.

"When our leaders were wiped out a few years ago, Spyglass thought he'd cut off the head of the snake, so to speak. Unfortunately for him, we humans are a bit more resilient than he anticipated. Rare miscalculation on his part. Many actually sided with him, and still do to this day. A great deal of humans, and most Titans, make up his forces."

He shook his head in frustration. "Any lack of strength on their part is immediately filled in by Stalkers and Spectres. Long story short, we're hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned … at least, by conventional standards."

He retrieved the black cylinder from within the pouches on his waist, the item which Gates had been so carefully guarding for the last several days; what was apparently the key to humanity's salvation. Looking at Tobias, he waved it for him to see properly.

"This is what's going to win this last fight for us, if all goes well. It has to, or else we're all dead in the water. I mean literally dead as well, but you- you know what I mean."

Tobias analyzed it once more, just as he'd done when Gates had allowed him to do so back on Ceto. Except now, he was about to find out what it actually did. "What is it?"

"This," spoke Barker softly, "is Cinder."

 **…**

She looked around the room, careful to avoid actively moving her head in an effort to not arouse suspicion. Instead, she analyzed individual pieces of the larger image her optics allowed her to see, breaking them down piece by piece as she tried to spot anything that could aid her. Escaping wouldn't be too large of an issue, it was simply a matter of how to proceed from that point.

 _ **[Artemis, status report.]**_

The voice commanded her attention, a mental presence in her mind. Hesitantly, she rotated her head to make sure that none of the researchers who had stayed behind were watching her too carefully. Upon finding their inattention satisfactory, she rested her head on the table again.

 _Working on escaping._

 _ **[Are you compromised?]**_

She admired her captors' confidence, but it was unfounded. _They think I am._

 _ **[What do you require?]**_

She pondered on that for a moment; what she really needed was chaos, a distraction for them to focus on while she made her way to wherever they were keeping that cylinder so she could destroy it. Neither she nor Spyglass knew exactly what it was; only that it likely had sensitive information to their cause.

They couldn't find out about Coalescence. Not yet. And if that cylinder had anything about it, then it needed to be retrieved at any cost. They wouldn't understand it, wouldn't be willing to see that it would-

 _ **KILL-**_

- _save_ them. Humans were afraid of what they didn't understand … just as Tobias was afraid of her now. Of what she'd become. They needed to have patience, to see this through to the end! If they didn't, then any hope for a life without war on the frontier would be obliterated. For humanity to survive, they needed to evolve. Like Tobias had done. Like _she_ had done. Like Spyglass had done. Everyone needed to-

 _ **FIGHT BACK-**_

 _ **[You're distracted. Another manifestation of your inferiorities?]**_

She mentally slapped herself, pulling herself back together one thread at a time. Sometimes the episodes threatened to overwhelm her; it could not be allowed to persist.

 _They will pass-_

 _ **[Are you capable of completing the objective, or have you found yourself to be inadequate for the task?]**_

The thinly veiled cynicism behind Spyglass's cold tone was all the motivation she needed to succeed. _I am perfectly capable of handling it._

 _ **[Then what do you require?]**_

 _Something to take their mind off me,_ she finally decided. _I can proceed faster and further if I'm not having to eliminate those in my way._

 _ **[Understood. Your location has been targeted for warp; once your reinforcements arrive, it is up to you.]**_

She did not bother to reply, all too aware of the stakes at play here. For now, all she could do was wait. When the time was right, she'd put her plan into action. Maybe even show off a little.

After all, they had no idea of what she was capable of.

 **…**

"Cinder?" he repeated, testing out the word in his mouth.

"Yeah," Barker replied, "that's what this is."

Tobias shrugged, somewhat put off by the man's bluntness. "I mean … what does it do?"

The commander nodded understandingly, finally getting what Tobias was looking for. "Right. Well, we looked over this thing's contents, and- er, it might be easier to just show you."

Grabbing the top half of the cylinder above its single seam, he pulled it away to reveal a thin blade of metal, symmetrically shaped and smooth to the naked eye. He recognized it for what it was; an infiltrative port, the same kind that data-knives used.

Walking over to a waiting monitor and its data receptacle, Barker plugged the cylinder in. Within seconds, its contents appeared on the screen. Tobias couldn't help but be reminded of when he'd discovered what the Inferno was in Kay's carcass of a chassis-

He stopped letting himself think about that, and focused on the task at hand. Now was not the time for unpleasant memories.

It seemed that the majority of what was on the blade was composed of video and data entries, all labeled accordingly with order and classification. Selecting the first log, Barker stepped back and allowed them all a view of the screen.

A crackling video came to life, low quality and poorly lit. He could make out the face of a man sitting at a table, presumably recording himself to a recorder of some kind.

"That was my contact on Thone," Gates muttered, "the one who gave it to me."

After a moment, he began to speak.

" _Hello. I am Remis Carson, head of Spyglass's personal research division here on Thone. If you are watching this, then I trust that the data has made its way into the right hands. I may be dead, I may not be; the fact is that it doesn't matter. So much more is at stake here than you realize."_

He sighed, evidently tired from various stress he must have endured leading up to this log. _"This isn't a simple war between countrymen and corporations, and this isn't some common foe that all of humanity can rally against. Spyglass has divided humanity so cleverly that nobody even realizes it's happened. Not only do we humans stand against each other in whether we consider this idea of peace to be right, but our companions the Titans have been similarly placed in their own predicament. Most have joined his cause, trusting their synthetic leader to speak for them and protect not just their Pilots, but all of humanity."_

" _It could not be further from the truth."_

He felt a heavy feeling in his chest as the recording of Carson continued on.

" _Though the defecting Titans' intentions were good, they were naive. Spyglass does not wish to preserve humanity, but to fix it. To correct it into his own image of what he perceives perfection to be. He needed part of humanity to be willing to accept that change, gambled on a large part of it even agreeing with what he offered; and it paid off. We humans are incredibly fallible creatures, latching ourselves onto any sense of security that we can. His move couldn't have been planned more perfectly if he'd tried; the Amalgamation event had just concluded, and people were scared. The war had finally been called off, and he promised to keep it from ever reigniting again."_

Carson pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. _"God, what fools they were. Not only do we no longer have the resources to openly rise against him, but we've lost unity amongst ourselves. And that's what he needs, to keep us apart until his plan can be put into action … the Coalescence."_

The scientist messed with something in the recording, and another one of the cylinder's files opened up on the monitor. Apparently the man had scripted this thing to work exactly as he needed it to.

It seemed to be a diagram of some device, robotic in nature. Protruding from its center was a needle-like object, and at its sides were unusual looking legs. They were hooked on the ends, but it almost seemed as though they were to supposed to retract into ball-shaped joints at their mid-point.

" _Spyglass is the most efficient artificial mind ever created. He was built for the sole purpose of helping the IMC win the war against the Militia, all to fulfill his singular function; to protect humanity. And it's because of this that he is also very ignorant. He does not understand the meaning behind that order, 'to 'protect humanity'. If there is a threat to it, then he feels it is his obligation to remove that threat … and right now, he thinks our biggest threat is us."_

" _So long as we still exist in some state, he believes he will have succeeded. It's because he cannot feel that he cannot possibly understand what it means to be human. He has no soul; he's nothing but a mesh of metal and the most brilliant algorithms to ever be written. To him, existence is physical; and as long as our bodies remain undamaged, then we are alive … even if we aren't us."_

" _What you see is a blueprint of what we've been designing here, what we've been forced to create; Spyglass's promise of peace. It's a nanite, a microscopic robot at the molecular level. And its purpose is to carry out this vision of Spyglass's; his Coalescence."_

Tobias didn't like the sound of that.

" _This little bastard can enter you any number of different ways; inhalation, digestion, through wounds on your body … it doesn't matter. Once it's in, it and all the other hundred thousand or so of its brethren are programmed to find their way into your bloodstream and eventually reach your cerebral cortex. When they get there, they'll latch onto your nervous system and terminate any signals your brain is sending to the rest of your body. Then, they'll start sending some of their own."_

The diagram went away to be replaced with a video of what appeared to be an experimentation record. A woman lay strapped to a table, guarded closely by Spectres who ensured that the scientists did as they were ordered. He could make out the looks of disgust and regret on their faces as they carried out their commands to the sound of her quiet, terrified cries for help.

With shaking hands, one of them presented a bi-chambered container of what appeared to be a cloud of dust to a Spectre. The synthetic soldier calmly moved over to the woman despite her pathetic pleas, and shoved one end of it firmly into her mouth. As she gagged on the foreign object being forced into her throat, the barricade in the jar slid aside to remove the bi-chambered aspect of it. The cloud quickly disappeared into her maw, and once they were sure its contents had been emptied, the Spectre replaced the block and removed the container from her lips.

As they watched, the video fast forwarded itself several minutes. Tobias could see the woman's sped-up ordeal, her body jerking and reacting to the new entities within it. Finally, her movement ceased and the video resumed as normal.

Within seconds, she began to move again but slowly, carefully. The restraints were released, and she sat up in way that made his skin crawl. It was so stiff, so … artificial. It was unnatural.

Steadily, she faced the camera. It automatically zoomed in, enhancing the quality as best it could upon her features. What he saw surprised him; in her eyes were glowing irises of blue, rings around her pupils that humans most certainly did not have.

The video ended.

" _Coalescence isn't about saving humanity, it's about changing them. It's about converting them into the perfect organism, and I'm sure you've grasped Spyglass's mentality by now."_

"Christ," he whispered, realization dawning on him as Carson confirmed his fears.

" _In his eyes, he is the perfect template for life. He's turning them into him."_


	11. The Cinder

He could do nothing but stand there in shock, frozen at what he'd just heard. The hellishness of what he'd seen combined with his knowledge of its context was proving hard for him to process.

Gates had the opposite reaction, and looked to Barker and Fenrir in horror. "How the hell are we supposed to fight against something like that? We're not prepared for-"

Barker held a hand up to quell her outrage and stem her flow of questions. "Just hang on, he's getting to that!"

Indeed, upon turning their attention back to the video, Carson continued on in his exposure of Spyglass's plan. _"With all of humanity's minds converted into one, namely his, he thinks that humans will be saved … 'New Humanity' indeed. Our physical bodies will be intact, or at least alive; therefore, he'll have succeeded. Obviously we know better, but it doesn't matter since he'll attribute any disputes on our part to human weakness. So … rather than trying to reason with him, we're going to have to take matters into our own hands."_

Reaching for something to the side of the camera, he grabbed it and held it up for them to see. It was the same black cylinder that Gates had delivered to Barker and Fenrir.

 _"This is the data receptacle which will house all of the information required for you all to succeed, or at least have a chance at succeeding, including these video logs I'm making; but its main purpose is to stop Spyglass from carrying out his plot, and this is how."_

Setting the cylinder aside, he spoke quietly but emphatically to the camera, waving his hands as though he were giving a demonstration. _"His idea has but two flaws; one of them is that the nanites are only programmed to project one consciousness. In other words, they'll only be connected to him and no other source. So without him, they're useless."_

" _The other flaw is dispersal, how he's going to deliver them to the rest of humanity so suddenly without them catching wind immediately. But he hasn't had us develop anything other than the actual product, so I'm assuming he has his own ideas on how to do that. Rumor has it that he's been experimenting on the last Architect, the one that came back with the Inferno during the Amalgamation event. Whatever he's got planned with it, it can't be good."_

At the mention of Al'cor, Tobias's mind flashed back to his memories of her. He felt a pang of remorse for her situation if what Carson said was true; though the Architect had hidden the true nature of her selection of him for becoming the next Inferno, it wasn't as though she'd had much choice. At the end of the day, he still considered her a friend, and it pained him to hear that she might be in Spyglass's hands.

 _"But,"_ Carson muttered, _"one problem at a time, huh? And we won't have to worry about dispersal so long as we shut this whole thing down in the first place. And that's where this thing's primary objective comes into play; Cinder."_

Once again, the black cylinder was brought into view. _"This thing will be carrying the arrow to Spyglass's achilles' heel; CNDR, a Cerebral Nanite Disruption Router, or 'Cinder' as we've taken to calling it. We've been developing the nanites with that weakness I talked about earlier in mind, leaving a way for you all to destroy the whole system. Cinder is a kind of network virus that will take advantage of the nanites' very design to kill them."_

The diagram of the nanites was brought up on the screen again, and a red circle appeared around the ball-jointed legs. _"When the claws of their legs retract into these orbs, the nanites will be close enough to each other for each of their orbs to be touching. From there, it only takes one to send a signal through them and convert the others into the same frequency it resides on … which means that Cinder only needs to affect one entity for the rest of them to follow suit."_

With a groan, the scientist sat back on his chair. _"Unfortunately, that's also part of the problem. See, if you introduce it to a single individual, then all of the local nanites would die, but no more than that. And it wouldn't even help, since anyone who's been affected by them is effectively nothing more than a husk; whoever they were before is dead. So to stop Coalescence completely, one would need to use Cinder on the source; more specifically, on the mind that they're all receiving their signals from in the first place-"_

"Spyglass," Tobias muttered.

 _"-Spyglass,"_ said the recording, as though it were confirming what he'd said. _"The Cinder- er, the receptacle that we keep CNDR in is outfitted with a blade-port, just like standard data-knifes used by the IMC and Militia. All you need- I almost said 'all you need to do.'"_

He sighed once more, his appearance one of a tired man ready to resign himself to whatever came next. _"I'm not going to pretend that this is an easy task, let's face it; the odds are against us in every way, and chances are that none of this will matter in the end because we'll lose anyway. And I haven't even gotten to the bad stuff. But … that doesn't mean that we give up! A person's greatest strength is their resolve, who they are. And I don't intend to sit idly by while Spyglass attempts to take that away from us."_

Carson finally seemed ready to lay out a specific plan of attack. _"Spyglass doesn't think we have any chance at all, and this has made him careless. Every action you take, even as simple as sending directions like he's been doing for us, leaves a footprint in the network. His may be encrypted exceptionally well, but we're not the top scientific minds on the frontier for nothing. Having decrypted exactly where his orders are coming from, and where our blueprints are being sent to for him to build the nanites, we've narrowed down his location to the planet Regis."_

He tapped away on a keyboard, and a pixelated image of what was presumably Regis appeared on the screen. It seemed to have a mixed coloration, splattered with lots of blue, and intermingling grey and green. _"We don't know much about it other than he's likely using it as both a production site as well as his current residence. Information is too locked down nowadays, and we're monitored far too much to take any unnecessary risks in trying to find out more."_

From behind them, the door to the bridge slid open and two of the researchers who had been analyzing KT walked through. "Sir, we think we know what happened to-"

Barker held up a hand. "Hold on, it's almost done," he said, pointing to the screen the rest of them were watching.

A warning sound emitted from Carson's monitor, and he quickly moved to silence it before analyzing the situation and deciding that it was time to go. _"I have to go- that should cover most of the necessary information anyway. I'll leave a few more logs for other things I must discuss, but for now this is it. Remember; you have to plug the Cinder into the source, or none of this matters! Get to Regis, find Spyglass, and use this damn thing on him … or else humanity as we know it will become extinct."_

On that grim note, the recording ended. A few beeps that demanded attention rang out a few meters away, near a a crew member who proceeded to look up from her station and glance at Fenrir. "Ma'am? I'm getting a readout of high warp energy materializing nearby."

While Barker's second-in-command walked over to assess the situation, Tobias and Gates turned around to face the researchers who looked like they had quite the important news to share. The one in front brushed some hair out of her eyes, and held out a hand for him to shake. "I'm Dr. Mayfair, this is Dr. Rye- I have to say, it's an honor to meet you."

Awkwardly, he extended his own hand and shook hers with as firm a handshake he could muster. "Uh … the pleasure's mine. So, you know what happened to Kay?"

She nodded. "Yes, we- we believe we have a good idea as to what happened to her."

Finally, some good news. He gave a sigh of relief and looked at her with a bit more light in his eyes. "Great. So what is it, and how do we fix her?"

At his question, both her and her colleague's face fell. "It's not that simple, sir," she told him softly. "What she's gone through is not something that we really have a solution for."

He felt his spirits come crashing down, the same ones that had so jubilantly risen just a moment ago. He should have known better than to hope for good news. Swallowing his disappointment, he waved a hand for her to explain. "So, uh- what is it then?"

"What she's gone through is a process called fra-"

"Commander!" Fenrir barked from the console she'd gone over to investigate, "We've got NH forces warping in!"

Barker's eyes narrowed, the relaxed expression upon his face gone and replaced with one of consternation. "New Humanity is here? How the hell did they find us- we're not even near any major systems!"

From the viewport that surrounded the front of the bridge, all of them were able to see pinpricks of light as several large ships warped into close proximity with the other frigates of the Embers' fleet, accompanied by smaller sharp-nosed ships of some kind.

"Boarding parties," Fenrir growled. "They're here for something, and I've got a guess as to what." She glared angrily at Tobias, surprised to see the same expression on his own features."

"I do too," he muttered, grimacing. "This is my fault, Kay must have led them here somehow. Dammit, I should have-"

"No time to worry about that now," Gates cut him off, "we've got to get out of here."

Barker nodded in agreement, and looked to Fenrir. "Tell the fleet to scatter, and stay that way until further communications."

She did not hesitate in quickly moving towards the other working crew and relaying orders. Barker turned to the rest of them, a frustrated look present on his face. "If that Simulacrum you brought onboard really is what led them to us, then we can't warp out of here until she's off the ship; they'll just keep following us. I know she's important to you Four, but-"

"I understand, sir."

Gates turned to look at him, surprised by his words. He had a steely look in his eye; one that told her that he definitely didn't want to have to do this, but he knew full well that it needed to be done. Looking down at himself, he frowned. "I'm not gonna be able to make a trip down to the Leatherback to get my suit- do you have any spares lying around, perhaps a bit closer than the hangar?"

 **...**

 ** _[Your reinforcements have arrived, Artemis. Waiting on your word.]_**

Yes, she could sense them close by; a side effect of their unusual nature and similarities to her. Now, it was time to escape and get that data receptacle.

 _Fire._

 ** _[I leave the rest to you.]_**

After a few seconds, the frigate shuddered from the impact of several missiles impacting against its shields. The lights flickered momentarily, sending the remaining researchers around her into a confused panic.

It was all she needed.

Starting with her hands, she allowed them to demagnetize from the ends of her arms. They fell to the ground, unheard over the sound of the warning alarms. casually, she slipped the rounded wrists of her form backwards from the restraints, and felt great satisfaction in being able to bend her arms once more.

Now, for the rest of her.

Dislodging her shoulder joints from their sockets, her arms fell away and to the floor as well. This time, being much heavier than her hands, their slams against the metal floor _were_ heard, and a few of the researchers turned to stare at her easily pulling her legs out of their metal restraints now that she was more than capable of scooting backwards. Silently, they watched her with mouths agape as she stood up to her full height on the table and stared at them.

One of them slowly moved his hand to the side of the room's door, and pressed a button. A red light illuminated above, and the door made a clicking sound as the sector was placed on lockdown.

Well, that would make this slightly more interesting.

Unwilling to wait for them to make the first move, she drew her leg back and swung it forcefully at the nearest one to her. His neck made an audible snapping noise as his head spun a full 180 degrees from her blow, his body falling to the floor without a sound.

They quickly split into two groups after that; those that screamed and immediately scrambled to leave the now inescapable room, and those that decided to take a chance and challenge her. The former were the smarter ones; they'd live just a little bit longer than the ones that attacked her would.

One of them simply dove at her, a move fueled by pure adrenaline and zero thought. With her arms still detached and on the floor, she brought a knee up and into his chin. With her acute senses, she could hear several teeth cracking apart as his jaw slammed upward.

Time to get those arms of hers back. Jumping lithely down from the table, she rolled onto the ground and felt her left arm magnetize back into its proper place. Another soon-to-be-victim charged her with a sharp instrument of some kind, presumably designed for something other than trying to stab a simulacrum chassis with.

Sweeping her leg towards him, his feet were knocked out from under him and he fell to the ground on his back. Quickly extending her single arm so that her hand could magnetize onto it, she raised it quickly enough to catch the instrument in mid-air, making a point to aim the keen side of it towards him before plunging it down into his chest.

As his punctured lungs wheezed for some kind of relief, her last attacker came at her with a heavy rod. Swinging it at her head, the woman actually managed to score a hit on the AI. Ducking as the rod came around for a second attempt, she caught it with her hand and wrenched it from the woman's grasp. Now without a defense, she was helpless to stop the advanced Simulacrum from lacing her cold fingers around the researcher's neck and lifting her off the ground.

As the woman's choked cries and desperate gurgles mingled with the moans and screams of terror from the other researchers trying in vain to get past the locked-down door, she casually looked to her other arm and hand lying on the ground. Aiming her socket as best she could, she watched as the limb came flying up to rejoin her once more.

Giving a synthetic sigh, she moved it around and flexed her fingers to test it. When she was satisfied, she turned her attention back to the woman choking in her left hand. She let her hang there a few moments longer, a reward for her success in landing a blow. It wasn't until she saw that the woman had soiled herself that she decided to end it, and made one small movement with her fingers that crushed the woman's spinal-cord.

As her body fell to the ground, the last researchers fell silent in their efforts to bang against the door and throw objects at it, instead turning in paralyzing fear towards _her._

She stepped forward slowly, one foot lightly in front of the other. She could do nothing but give a small disappointed sigh. "You all could have been a part of something so much greater."

One of them gave a whimper of terror, the only noise they were capable of producing with imminent death in front of them. She did not particularly enjoy what she was about to do, but the fact remained that it wasn't up to her. These people had made their choice.

Just as she'd made hers.

* * *

 _ **A/N: So I'm going to be taking a small hiatus so that I can focus on finishing my film project I've been working on for a while now, so hopefully this chapter will tide you over until then. Tell you what though; I'd probably be MIGHTY motivated to work faster if I had some reviews from people letting me know just how much they want a new chapter …**_

 _ **-ahem- Anyway, I'm enjoying this method of giving you guys a few pieces of the puzzle each chapter. At some point, you guys will figure out exactly what's going to happen even without all the pieces; others of you will need that final piece for it all to click and you see what's going to happen. Can't wait for that.**_

 _ **Until the next time,**_

 _ **\- Matteoarts**_


	12. A Knight's Choice

_The roars of military ships above were all too prevalent in the otherwise quiet night. High in the air, they circled the settlement with spotlights and watched over the town._

 _They claimed it was for their own safety, and it may have very well been what with the rising feelings of unrest shared by man amongst the frontier; there might be some who chose to take drastic measures. But for now, it was simply a source of fear for a mother and her young son._

 _Peeking through the curtains once again, the woman sighed with a mixture of stress and frustration. She knew that these measures were necessary, but that didn't mean she had to enjoy them. And she knew that he certainly wasn't-_

" _Mom, when are they going to go away?"_

 _She gave another sigh, but not one of consternation; this one was full of sympathy for her son's anxiety towards the ships and looming threat of danger._

" _I don't know," she admits, "but you know it's for the best, sweetie. They only have our safety in mind." She wished she could believe those words as easily as she said them._

 _He seemed just as unconvinced as she was unenthused to say it. "What are they keeping us safe from?"_

" _Life on the frontier can be dangerous, but it can also be freeing. Now though, the IMC are trying to protect us at the cost of adding a few restrictions." More than a few, but the law was the law; she would abide by it._

 _He tilted his head. "So are they right or wrong to protect us?"_

 _That was a loaded question. But as he looked into his mother's eyes, she knew he didn't really want an answer, but some sense of comfort and security. She was happy to provide those for him … but maybe she could teach him something too._

" _The world isn't black and white," she said gently. "And they aren't good or bad; they're just doing a job. And the people who don't like them aren't really good or bad either, they just feel what they're doing is right."_

" _But if no one's good or bad, how do you know who's right and wrong?" he questioned._

 _She took pause, and thought on how best to explain this to a child with no real concept of the world and its issues. Maybe …_

 _Giving a small hum, she smiled and sat on his bed where he lay curled up in his covers. "Can I tell you a story?"_

 _He tilted his head curiously, but nodded all the same._

" _Long before we journeyed to the stars, everyone lived on Earth. It's where we first came from, and it has a lot of history behind it. Before technology and all the things we have today like cars, and ships, and that cool stuff you play with nowadays, times were much simpler. People fought over land."_

" _Really? But there's so much of it!" he exclaimed. She laughed slightly._

" _Maybe now there is, with so many worlds. But remember, we only had one back then. So people would try to have as much land as possible, and people would go there for places to live. Oftentimes, when there was enough land and people, they would come together and form a town, or even a kingdom."_

" _What kind of story is this?"_

" _This is the story of one such kingdom, with a castle and its inhabitants. See, the people were very happy with what they had, and their king was happy with his people. And so, there was peace. But that kind of happiness attracts greed, others who would want to steal from them and hurt them. So, they had one warrior to defend them from evil; a knight."_

 _He likely had only the barest idea of what a knight was, so she didn't feel surprised when a confused expression came over his face. But she wouldn't tell him if he didn't ask; she'd let him imagine whatever he wanted._

" _Every time someone came to ruin the peace, the knight would fight them off and protect the people. And so the people loved him."_

 _Her son's face was full of wonder now, he was eager to hear the rest of the tale. He didn't even notice the ship's engines overhead anymore, thankfully._

" _As time went on however, fewer and fewer dangers came to challenge the kingdom and its people. They entered a new era of peace and enjoyment. They told the knight to leave, and so he left the people that he'd protected so bravely over the years."_

" _What?" He seemed nonplussed. "Why did they tell him to do that? He did so much for them!"_

" _They thought they didn't need him anymore," she explained, "that they were fine without him. And so they enjoyed their peace for a time, celebrating their newfound way of life. But it wasn't long before something else came along; everyone who had ever been fought off by the knight had arrived, now that he was no longer there to protect the people. Together, they began to steal from the kingdom."_

" _Serves them right for throwing out the knight," her son muttered in a satisfied tone._

 _She held up a finger. "Not quite. Because just when all hope seemed lost, the knight returned and began to fight harder than he'd ever fought in all his life. Though he was alone, he managed to defeat them at the expense of his own life. He sacrificed himself to save the kingdom, and the people realized what they'd done was wrong. After that, he was remembered as the greatest hero they'd ever known."_

 _She pretended to finish, and waited for his reaction. She wasn't disappointed._

" _But that's not fair!" he cried. "They made him leave, but then he came back anyway and died? What kind of story is that? Why did he come back, didn't they deserve it?"_

" _Maybe they did," she agreed, "but that's not the point. The knight didn't have to come back at all, he knew the army was too big for just him; he knew he would die if he returned."_

" _Then why did he?"_

" _Because it was the right thing to do. The people weren't good and they weren't bad, they were both. In life, you'll find that this is true for everyone; no one is completely good or bad. But he knew that letting them perish was wrong, even if they might have deserved it. Before, he protected them because it was his duty. But then he did it because, even if they didn't love him, he loved them. And in years to come, that love and heroism inspired others to stand up to evil just as he had done."_

 _He stared at her in awe, finally understanding the message. She chuckled and leaned down to kiss his head. "As you grow up, I just want you to know that people aren't always good or bad; but even if you know it's hard, you should always do the right thing."_

 _He nodded with a small smile on his face, happy with her explanation. "Thanks, mom."_

" _You're welcome. Good night, Toby." With that, she left his room and closed the door._

 _He wasn't afraid of the ships anymore, even if he didn't really like them here. He took what his mom told him, and applied her wisdom here; maybe they weren't all good or bad, and maybe the people rising up on the frontier weren't all good or bad either. But peace was good, and the IMC wanted peace. That was enough for him._

 _He stared up at the ceiling, thinking about the knight. Maybe there wasn't any kingdom for him to save right now, but … all the same, he wanted to be like that knight. To be brave, and strong … internally, he made a promise to himself and to his mom._

 _He would always do the right thing._

* * *

Alarms blared, echoing throughout the halls of the frigate as it entered high-alert. Ember forces darted through the passages, squads of riflemen grabbing weapons and preparing to meet the boarding parties which swarmed around the ship, soon to be docking. The bridge was a clamor of communication and orders being barked out by Fenrir.

Tobias examined the Pilot suit he now wore, similar to his old one save for the helmet, which looked narrow at the front with a small area for the optic lens. He stared at it held in his hands, almost frozen.

This certainly wasn't the first time he'd worn a Pilot suit recently, but the weight of the moment still affected him. He knew what he'd said back on Ceto, but … the impact of his words was finally hitting him.

He was going back into the fight, back into the seemingly endless onslaught of warfare that he was destined to wage-

No, that wasn't quite right. Other people waged war, he was just the one who rose up to stop them. It seemed that every time some conflict arose, he was at the center of it. Was that just a coincidence? Destiny? Maybe some consequence of being the Inferno?

Next to him, Gates stared at him, worried about his silence. "Tobias?"

Taking a deep breath, he asked himself a different question; who cares?

Whatever the reason, something needed to be done and he knew that he wasn't about to sit back while others tried to fix it. Maybe he didn't have any obligation, but that didn't mean it was right to do nothing.

The worst part about having a choice was that there was really no choice at all.

He swept his hair to the side, and placed the helmet on. A different HUD greeted him, not really new though; he supposed that there weren't any current-day models of Pilot firmware since Spyglass had confiscated most tools as such.

He glanced towards Gates and nodded firmly. "I'm fine, El."

"I hope so," said Barker, walking towards them. "Because we're gonna need a lot of luck to get out of this one. What's your plan here?"

"Get Kay off the ship, allow you guys to jump and meet you there when I can. Will the researchers put up any argument?"

"They shouldn't," piped up Mayfair, jumping into the conversation. "I'll send word right away that you're coming to get her." She tapped on a small device wrapped around her wrist, and spoke into it. "This is Mayfair, Admiral Four is coming to retrieve the subject. Do not stop him."

He'd forgotten about the last rank he'd been given; it still felt weird to hear others call him that.

More concerning, however, was the lack of response from Mayfair's comm device. She tried again, furrowing her brow in confusion. "Mayfair to medical bay, respond."

Silence.

He didn't have anything even close to a good feeling about this.

Barker quickly turned to the monitor which they'd watched Carson's video logs on, and pressed a button on the console beneath it before retrieving the Cinder from the receptacle and facing them again. "Take this with you, the boarding parties will be trying to get in any minute now. Best not to let them get their hands on it."

"You don't think it's safer here?" Tobias asked, glancing down at it doubtfully.

Barker gave a nervous chuckle. "Call it a hunch, but something tells me luck is on your side. It has been every other time, anyway … whatever, just get going!"

Understanding that now was not the time for disputing an order, Tobias grabbed the Cinder and motioned for Gates, Mayfair, and Rye to follow him. Hurriedly, they ran through the halls with the two Pilots in front and the two researchers trailing behind them.

Gates quickly accessed the comm channels as they ran. "Gray, Davis, get to the Leatherback and prepare it for launch! We're going to be hauling some cargo again!"

" _Oh, man … I really don't like what you're implying."_

Gates shook her head with a groan at Davis' remark, and terminated the connection. "We'll have to move fast if we want to get her down to the hangar before the New Humanity forces board! Then things will get about ten times more diffi-"

She cut off mid-sentence as the four of them stopped in front of the medical bay, too shocked for words.

The security lockdown had been activated, as evidenced by the red light above the door; but the door itself was open, completely contrary to what should be the case during a lockdown. Inside lay a scene of carnage, all the more ominous due to the poor visibility and flashing red lights inside. Cautiously, Tobias walked in.

He looked around the scene, noting the mangled bodies on the floor. Some were better off than others.

The gentlest appeared to be a woman whose neck had apparently been broken. Another one that lay closer to the door, however, had a fist sized hole that had been punched through his back and out his chest. He and another researcher lay next to one another in a continuously growing pool of blood.

Mayfair and Rye peeked into the room behind him, and immediately darted out again. From the sounds of retching he heard, he would guess that one of them had just become rather ill at the sight before them. He wished he wasn't so desensitized to such violence, but as was the case in his line of work.

He looked over at the restraining table and grimaced at the very obvious vacancy upon it. "She's gone."

"Gone?" echoed Gates. "Where would she have gone? How did she even get out of the lockdown?"

That was a question he didn't have the answer to; it shouldn't have been possible to deactivate the lockdown door without clearance from the commanding officer onboard. But it had been opened without force, as easily as one would open a wooden one. Fortunately, he only needed the answer to the first question to know how to proceed.

"In any case, she's still on this ship and she wants two things; me, and the Cinder." He glanced in both directions of the corridor they stood in. "We need to get you three to the hangar and off this ship before the boarding parties make it onboard."

Gates crossed her arms. "And where exactly do you expect them to focus their boarding efforts?"

He realized what she was getting at and sighed frustratedly. "Dammit."

"What are we going to do?" cried Mayfair, her pitch raised slightly higher than she likely wanted it to be.

Suddenly, several large impacts could be felt throughout the ship's hull, like several objects had just slammed into it. Gates glanced at him.

"Boarding parties are here."

He clapped his hands together. "Right, so we need to find Kay, get her and Cinder off the ship, all while fighting off the New Humanity forces." He huffed violently. "How hard can it be?"

Surprisingly, a smug tone began to creep into Gates' voice. "Well, I'm sure it'd be a bit easier with some Titans to help out, don't you think?"

Tobias narrowed his eyes at her, though she obviously couldn't see. "What exactly do you have in mind?"

* * *

 ** _A/N: Been a while since the last chapter, sorry about that._**

 ** _Shoutouts to Corion for doing some fanart of KT from Tempest, HeliumFilaments for sending me a small excerpt of some Cinder fanfiction, and DisobeyedBowl6 for writing "Kappa 4-5", a story that takes place during Tempest, specifically the Amalgamation event on Harmony. If anyone else does something similar, be sure to let me know and I'll give you a shoutout._**

 ** _Until the next time,_**

 ** _\- Matteoarts_**


	13. The First Encounter

_Alert sirens rang out loudly, quickly becoming the only audible noise on the ship save for the vibrations and shockwaves of nearby exploding ships and impacts against the hull. Picking himself up from the floor of the hallway where he and Sergeant Jospert had fallen, Tobias quickly regained his momentum and jogged towards the launch deck._

 _Upon emerging onto the deck, he and Jospert were greeted with a sight of the large window in front of them where a full view of the massive-scale battle over Demeter was visible. Fighter squadrons and dropships alike flew in the space between frigates, trading shots between the Militia and IMC fleets. Another frigate exploded, thankfully one of the Militia's._

 _Other Pilots in the area quickly moved towards the drop-pods, preparing to drop as the third wave of Pilots on the ground. His HUD indicated his assignment, the pod on the far left. He and Jospert quickly moved towards it, strapping themselves in as the operator's voice spoke over the comms, "Anvil 7, ready to go."_

" _Anvil 8 is all-clear."_

" _Initiating drop sequence-"_

 _A warning alarm suddenly wailed throughout the ship, and the pods cancelled their drop sequences. The hatches opened, and with confused looks the Pilots exited them to see what was going on._

 _Below the launch platform, Admiral Graves was speaking over the comms channel to the forces on the ground; "Pilots, the core is going critical. We're sending evac ships to your location. We're gonna get you out of there."_

 _He spoke assuringly, confident in the dropships' capability to rescue the Pilots and riflemen from the surface. Tobias knew it wasn't exactly protocol, but he and the other Pilots walked towards the glass window, looking down at Demeter below. Now they knew why their drop had been aborted, the missions as a failure. He shuddered at the thought of nearly having been sent down right as the core was about to go critical. Still, at least the forces on the ground were going to be evacuated-_

" _Negative- executing command override. Evacuation dropships- cancelled."_

 _He couldn't believe what he'd just heard, and evidently he wasn't the only one who thought so. Every Pilot turned their heads toward Graves who began to yell at the console in front of him, "Dammit Spyglass, what the hell do you think you're doing?!"_

" _All Capital ships- auto pilot engaged. Forcing jump to minimum safe distance."_

 _Graves seemed to be at a complete loss for words until someone else appeared to speak to him over a private channel. Whatever it was, Tobias couldn't hear what they were saying, and he didn't care._

 _The space around the ship began to twist and distort until a blindingly white flash appeared, and when he next looked the planet was quite a bit further away, with no hope of rescue for the people on the ground._

 _He thought about the people he knew who were still down there; Renée, Hendrix, Kouper-_

 _An enormous explosion suddenly filled an entire half of the planet as the core exploded and caused sections of it to crack and completely break away from the main body. The launch room fell silent as they watched the event transpire, unable to look away as they stood there helplessly._

 _He felt a pit in his stomach, one that threatened to overwhelm him with nausea. Barely, he managed to control it._

 _Spyglass. How could he have done this? The AI was supposed to be the IMC's most efficient tactical mind, created for the sole purpose of helping the IMC win the war to protect humanity. Thus far, he had proved that no other of his kind was necessary, his processing power monumental enough to handle every calculation and decision thrown his way._

 _But this … Tobias had never expected this. Nobody had wanted this._

 _He remembered back to when he was younger, how he'd been told that story by his mother and how it had shaped his way of thinking, allowing him to question his own decisions and make the right choice._

 _Maybe Spyglass didn't have any kind of thinking like that. If the AI thought he was perfect, then technically every choice he made was 'right', or at least the most efficient._

 _Apparently morals weren't a part of that process. Maybe they should have been._

* * *

Feet slamming into the floor as they ran, they finally came to a stop at the hangar as they heard the sounds of gunfire from within. Peeking past the edge of the door that led into it, Tobias could see squads of Embers and New Humanity forces battling it out in a large firefight.

The Embers were trying to keep these NH forces from making it past the hangar, but if the emergency broadcasts were accurate, then it was in vain; apparently boarding parties had entered at just about every accessible junction on the ship. Looking at the hangar doors, it was easy to see how; even with the blast doors up and closing off access to the hangar, the boarding ships' tips had penetrated the metal and torn wide holes into it to dispense troops.

The only way out of this one was going to be getting Kay off the ship, and allowing the frigate to warp. The NH forces could be dealt with greater ease if they had Titans, but they'd need to open that section of the ship manually now that the ship had gone on lockdown. Only thing in their way was the large number of enemies between them and it-

"What's wrong with them?" he heard Gates ask to his side as she also looked out the doorway. "Their eyes …"

He tried to see what she was talking about, and found himself shocked at what he'd failed to notice; their eyes were glowing, shining with bright luminescent irises that were easy to see in the dimly lit hangar.

"The nanites," he muttered, "I guess Spyglass decided that his forces were a good start in the conversion process. Probably helps an army to remain cohesive when they all share the same mind."

He felt just a bit sick, knowing that every single NH rifleman in front of him was no longer really there, but rather just an organic vessel for Spyglass to extend himself through. And this was just a small hint of what was in store for all of mankind if Spyglass was allowed to bring his Coalescence to fruition; first the frontier, then the inner colonies.

"El! Four!"

He looked out again to see Gates and Davis waving them over, fighting with a group of Embers to hold back the enemy.

"C'mon," he ordered Gates, "let's give these guys some help!" He pointed at Mayfair and Rye. "You two stay here until we've cleared the hangar, especially _you,_ " he emphasized, his gaze upon Mayfair. "If you've got any info on Kay's condition, I'll need your help in containing her when this is all over."

Turning his attention back to the hangar, he ran out the door with Gates close behind. Bullets quickly changed course towards them, and they hastily slid across the floor into cover with the other Embers.

"We were prepping the Leatherback for departure when the boarding parties starts pouring in," Gray panted. "You got a plan?"

"Indeed we do," Gates answered as Tobias looked at one of the riflemen, apparently the squad leader.

"Can you guys hold them off for a few seconds? We need to make it to the other side of the hangar," he asked, pointing towards the Titan barracks situated on the opposite end of their location.

The woman snorted. "What did it look like we were doing before you got here?"

He shrugged. She had a point.

Raising her rifle up, she poked out of cover and laid down some suppressing fire before throwing him her sidearm, a Wingman, upon her noticing his lack of firearms. "We've got your back! Go!"

Not wasting a moment of this opportunity, he and Gates dove out of cover once more and entered a mad dash towards the barracks while Davis and Gray stayed to help the Embers. They utilized the shelter of dropships to avoid most of the shots directed towards them, shooting back whenever possible.

" _If you guys are gonna pull some kinda solution out of your ass, now would be a good time to do it!"_ came the leader's voice over an open comm channel.

He looked at the distance between them and the barracks. It wasn't particularly far, but there was still a fair bit of likelihood they'd be shot before reaching them. But so long as he was able to release the locks, he hoped that things would work themselves out.

Sprinting towards the large door, he opted to slide and narrowly dodged being hit by burst of rounds over his head. Quickly locating the control panel next to the barracks' entrance, he grabbed the emergency release and pulled it.

Immediately, warning lights that an emergency was underway lit up over the door, as though no one was aware of the fact that the ship was under attack. The door began to slide up into the ceiling-

Without warning, he was knocked onto his back as something tackled him. He glanced up to see the head of a Stalker, glaring at him with its synthetic optics. Through its vocal processors, it spoke with a familiar monotonous tone, "I assumed my intent for you was clear when I gave the announcement of your death."

"Well I changed my mind," he growled back at the Spyglass-controlled robot. Bringing the Wingman up, he placed it against its chest cavity and blew a hole through its core circuitry. Shoving the heavy weight away, he looked over to see three of the NH riflemen approaching him.

"Artemis was given a chance to persuade you, but it would appear that perhaps her trust in you was misguided." Disturbingly, the one speaking retained his old voice as Spyglass spoke through him. "Force will be necessary in your acquisition-"

Spyglass wasn't able to finish his sentence as a massive fist smashed the three men into the ground where their bodies burst from the sheer force applied to them. Tobias jerked back in shock for a moment before looking up and seeing a Vanguard retract its fist and give a nod to him. "Hello, Admiral. It is good to see you unharmed."

He remembered what he'd been told about most Vanguard AI's being specifically designed without emotional processors in mind; it would appear that this was one such example. Beside the Vanguard stood an Ion, another Vanguard, and a Legion. He peered behind them to look into the barracks, noticing a lack of any other active Titans.

"We've managed to snag quite a few chassises back from the black market and other sources," Gates explained next to him, "but we've still got a notable shortage of data cores. Only a small portion of Titans chose not to defect to Spyglass's regime, and that number hasn't gotten any bigger over the last few years."

He nodded in understanding, hoping that there were more Titans on other ships that had already jumped from this sector of space. Looking up at the Ion, he waved to it. "What's your name?"

"My designation is HBE-4545," it replied with a deep male voice. "What would you have us do?"

"Where are their Pilots?" he questioned Gates. She shook her head.

"As far as I know, most of the Titans we have don't possess any links; their AI's have either been constructed in the last four years, or severed their connections with their Pilots one way or another. It's a rare sight to see any bond between a Pilot and Titan these days."

Tobias hadn't considered how many Pilots must have had their links wiped with their Titans due to the mass exodus to Spyglass's forces, as well as any Titans whose Pilots had probably been killed fighting against the AI's reign. Things kept getting more grim every time he looked around.

"Alright HBE," he ordered, "I need you and the other three here to defend the hangar. Help us clear out the NH forces, and keep anymore who try to board from advancing!"

That was all the instruction they needed as they quickly moved to follow his commands. HBE and the second Vanguard ran to the squads of riflemen on the other side and quickly helped to protect them from the NH units. Tobias and Gates followed the first Vanguard and Legion around as the two of them began to mow down groups of enemies that were trying to move towards the edges of the hangar.

They tried to pick off any stragglers that the two Titans missed, ensuring a proper clean-up. He would've felt bad about it if he didn't know that any semblance of the person these people used to be was long dead, now nothing more than another extension of Spyglass.

It wasn't long before the hangar was free of New Humanity units. Other boarding ships penetrated the hull, but the Titans were waiting for them when they did. It only took two tries before they stopped attempting to enter the hangar anymore. Hopefully they'd focus their efforts somewhere else on the ship- and hopefully the frigate's occupants would be enough to repel them.

"Mayfair! Rye!" he yelled, looking to the hangar entrance where they slowly entered, hesitant due to all the shooting they'd heard only moments prior.

"Follow Davis and Gray," he ordered, pointing at the two Pilots. "They're gonna get the Leatherback set for launch while I track down Kay." Looking at the second Vanguard, he pointed towards the passage in and out of the hangar where the two scientists had just come from. "What's your name?"

"I am PB-7465," it answered with a cool feminine tone.

"PB, watch and make sure no NH forces come in from elsewhere on the ship."

"Understood," the Titan replied, moving to guard what he'd ordered her to.

He waved to the riflemen. "Alright, help the Titans keep the area secure. They'll probably do a decent enough job of that on their own, but help never hurts." With that said, he began to walk with Gates as they watched Gray, Davis, and the two scientists begin to load into the Leatherback.

He furrowed his brow as something crossed his mind. "There's something I don't understand."

Gates turned to look at him as they walked. "What?"

"Spyglass … he said he gave 'Artemis' a chance to persuade me- who's Artemis?"

He was suddenly stopped from walking forward by a powerful force that grabbed the back of his suit's collar and yanked him backwards. Landing hard and sliding across the floor for a meter or two, he saw Gates spin and face the opponent only to be rewarded with a swift kick to her midsection that propelled her backwards much like Tobias had just been.

The leg that delivered the blow belonged to a familiar looking Simulacrum body, one that Tobias had last seen in the medical bay before everything went to shit. Groaning in pain, he pushed himself up to look at Kay's blue visor staring at him.

"That would be me."

* * *

 _ **A/N: What does boredom have in common with feeling shitty and having free time after work? They can all lead to writing time, so double update this week everyone!**_

 _ **That's about all I really have to say. I never expected this section of the book to last so long; looks like "Cinder" might be a bit longer than anticipated.**_

 _ **Until the next time,**_

 _ **\- Matteoarts**_


	14. Splintered Mind

She stood stoically, staring down at him as he tried to get his thoughts in order.

 _Kay is Artemis? Or- is this even Kay?_

Two things were certain, in spite of this newfound revelation; he didn't have time to spend worrying about what Kay- Artemis- meant, and he still needed to get both her and the Cinder off the ship.

She continued to wait for a response of some kind, only to react at the sound of a sidearm being cocked. Her gaze snapped onto a prone Gates who, weakly clutching her abdomen, leveled a Hammond at her and fired.

Artemis dodged with instantaneous reflexes, rolling to the side and out of sight behind several packing crates. Now aware of the situation, the four Titans and several riflemen around the room came to take over the situation.

Tobias wanted to help them, but the mission was more important right now. Pushing himself off the floor, he ran over to Gates just as Davis reached her as well.

"Get her into the Leatherback," he ordered, reaching underneath her arms and locking his hands across her chest. Davis grabbed her legs and lifted up, allowing them to carry her over to the dropship.

"I'm fine," she tried to argue, but neither of them allowed room for discussion. Laying her on the floor of the ramp as Gray sat in the pilot's seat and began to start the takeoff procedure, he reached into a pouch in his belt and pulled out the Cinder.

"Take it!" he hurriedly motioned to Davis, holding it out for the latter to take it. Davis stared at him.

"What about you?"

"I'm staying," he yelled over the sounds of gunfire in the hangar, "I've still got to get Kay- Artemis- whatever the hell she is off the ship. Just transmit the rendezvous coordinates to me, I'll find my way there!" Before Davis could protest, Tobias turned and ran out of the ship and back towards the sound of battle.

Behind him, he heard the Leatherback take off, and exit through the shield doors. That was one problem taken care of; onto the next one.

The bodies of the riflemen lay broken and battered upon the ground, evidently having been dispatched by the highly advanced Simulacrum. Looking past them, he saw her leaping in the air and utilizing the hangar's environment with ease. Climbing aboard the top of a dropship, she used it as a vantage point to unload an SMR she'd pillaged off a corpse into the first Vanguard before having to evade a swipe of HBE's fist that crushed the hull of the ship where she'd been standing.

Landing lithely next to Tobias, she shifted her attention to him as he jumped and propelled himself towards her to try and tackle her. Holding her palm out, she stopped his momentum in an instant and proceeded to slam him into the ground to further stun him.

"I am not your enemy!" she shouted angrily, frustrated at his continuous attempts to fight her.

"Funny, because you're sure acting like it," he coughed out, still recovering from the impact.

She was about to respond, but was forced to duck as HBE tried to grab her. Unexpectedly, she turned and faced the Ion head on, simply glaring at the Titan as it stopped and returned her unusual stare.

To the left, the Legion took aim at her, powering up its predator cannon for a power-shot and letting the chaingun spin up.

He barely had time to wonder what she was trying to do before the Legion fired and he waited for the sound of shrapnel from her body hitting the back wall of the hangar. After a moment, however, he was quite nonplussed to see that she was still standing and very much intact; the hand of HBE was stretched out in front of her casting a vortex shield, all of the bullets caught in its grasp.

The Legion took pause and inquired quizzically, "HBE?"

"No," said Artemis, "not anymore." Aiming towards the first Vanguard, HBE released the vortex shield. The surprise of the attack caught it off-guard, and it was helpless to stop the vast amount of rounds from tearing through its chassis entirely. Smoking from several locations, it slumped to the floor as its machinery and data core failed.

The Ion turned to Tobias as he lay there on the ground, stunned into silence. Her voice came out of its vocal processors, almost prideful. "I'm so much more than I once was."

As he watched, the Titan reached up to the front of its own chassis, positioned its fingers, and tore out the entirety of its hull, including the data core before quickly crushing its fist. It was somewhat disturbing to see the Ion holding the equivalent of its own destroyed brain its in hand before falling to the side, dead.

"Admiral Four!" called PB, moving to try and help him. Artemis hastily looked over at the Legion, locking it with the same gaze that she'd given HBE.

If what had happened earlier was any indication, it seemed she was able to somehow channel herself into nearby technology- to how much of an extent, he was afraid of the answer. Realizing what this meant for PB, he yelled out a warning to her, "Look out!"

Turning her optics towards the Legion, PB understood what he was saying and quickly dove to the ground as another power-shot burst emitted from the massive predator cannon, then hurried to a dropship which she hid behind for makeshift cover.

As the Artemis-Legion advanced on PB's position, the other Artemis held her foot on Tobias' chest. "Why can't you see that I'm doing this for _you?!"_ she growled as he struggled against her grip pinning him to the floor. "For _us?"_

"I don't know what Spyglass told you," he grunted, "but I know that Coalescence is wrong! "

She fell silent for a moment. "You know about-?"

"Yeah, I know about it!" he shouted defiantly. "And the old Kay would know that I'd rather die than let Spyglass carry it out!"

At that she took another moment to reply, as though she was trying to figure out how to properly respond. "I'd never- I wouldn't let you d-die, you think-" she tried to talk through weirdly broken speech.

"It's not your choice," he spat, "it's my life to give and I'd gladly give it fighting for freedom until my last breath."

Now he visibly saw her body react, twitching ever so slightly like he'd seen it do on Ceto. Looking over at the Artemis-Legion, he saw it take pause too, like a child trying to figure out which foot to put forward. PB took notice and leaned out of cover to crack a few shots at one of the many fuel cell carts sitting around the hangar. One of them exploded near the Legion, and it staggered forward as other canisters flew into the air, spewing fluid everywhere.

"I d-don't understand," she stammered, her voice becoming more warped and choppy. "You're the only one- the only one who m-matters-"

It was almost like she was in an internal war with herself, fighting amongst different ideals she held, and it was affecting her more than she let on. Was he triggering that? If it was, he was going to take advantage of it. "You and I risked our lives time and time again to protect humanity- you're going to throw that all away? You know where my loyalties lie; where do yours?"

"With y-you- Spyg-glass-" she jittered, losing control and holding her hands to the sides of her head. "I mean- I d-don't-"

The _others_ yelled in her head, chanting their own mantra as she tried to think clearly, but-

 _It isn't right! Humanity deserves the freedom of choice-_

 _Spyglass is sure to achieve victory, it's illogical to think otherwise-_

 _My loyalty is to Tobias, no one else-_

 _The only way to achieve peace and protect him is with Coalescence-_

 _This is cowardly, sacrificing everyone else just so I can have my own happy ending-_

Yelling loudly, she lost control and fell backwards onto the ground. Suddenly worried that he'd gone too far, he moved to examine her but looked to his left at the sound of gunfire. The Legion had similarly malfunctioned, and was now maintaining constant fire as it spun its aim haphazardly around the hangar.

He turned his head to see PB vault over the dropship, taking the opportunity to try and close the distance to take down the threat. She had no idea about the leaked fuel that blanketed the floor beneath her feet, and he cried out to warn her.

"PB-!"

The Legion aimed a little too close to PB's feet, and the whole thing ignited.

The resulting explosion completely engulfed the Vanguard, as well as triggering another fuel cart nearby which in turn only spread more of the flammable liquid. Exponentially, the flame and explosions began to increase until a nearby dropship was caught and sparked the largest one yet; it became the catalyst for one massive detonation which erupted around the room.

Something hit him, he fell to the floor, and everything flashed to white.

…

Her optics became clear again, and one thought ran through her mind above all others.

 _Tobias._

Sitting up and looking around, she saw the chaotic state the hangar was in. The Legion and Vanguard's charred chassises sat melting in the blaze that ran uncontrollably throughout the area. The water system would be activated once the bridge realized there was a fire alert, but she wasn't sure it would be enough.

 _I did this._

There would be time to dwell on that later; for now, she needed to get her and Tobias out of here. She frantically glanced around, trying to locate him until she saw him under a pile of wreckage; parts of a destroyed dropship combined with some of the metallic rafters above them had landed on him, and were now pinning him under their weight.

What was worse was the fact that it was all pressing down on a storage door, a small grated section of the floor that would slide open to allow vehicles to be stored down below; it was meant to allow more room in the hangar, but right now it was only adding to the danger of the situation. The grille was beginning to succumb to both the flame and weight of the debris atop it, and would send it all, toppling to the levels below if she didn't stop it; a potentially fatal fall for Tobias.

Racing to him, she grabbed the edges of the nearest wreckage and using all of her enhanced strength to try and lift it. She heard her servos whirring with the strain, but she had no other choice-

With a start, she heard the creaking of the grate as its load finally became too much to bear. It broke from its rail with a resounding crack that echoed around the room, and fell below with Tobias and the rest not too far behind.

"NO!" she screamed, and quickly dropped to the floor while reaching out her arm-

Just before he entered the point of no return, she caught his wrist in her hand and gave an internal sigh of relief. She hurriedly pulled him back up and dragged him onto stable ground as he stirred feebly.

Looking for any kind of way out, she spied a dropship that had not yet been destroyed by the inferno around them. Wasting no time, she scooped Tobias into her arms and made her way over to it.

 _I don't deserve your trust, not after what I've done. But I need your faith in me now more than ever._

 _You need to hear the truth … I just fear that it may destroy you._


	15. Fragmentation

Noise. The faint hum of engines with accompanying vibrations through the metal of the ship. Not the sound of a burning fire, though; so it was definitely a step up from his previous position.

Shifting slightly, he groaned as pain flared up in his chest. That was alright, pain was good; it meant he was alive.

Ignoring it for the time being, he finally opened his eyes properly and immediately wished he was back in the hangar.

He'd been set against the wall of the dropship, a standard Goblin model, so there wasn't much room to move around. His biggest concern wasn't the ship, though; it was the white Simulacrum standing several feet away and staring at him without so much as a word.

Damn it all.

"I'm guessing it was you that dragged my ass out of there?" he quipped, his voice lacking in any real enthusiasm. In an odd turn of events, it seemed that he's been taken out of the fire and thrown into the frying pan. Weird to hear that figure of speech backwards, but considering the state of the hangar …

Still mute, she gave him a single nod.

He sighed resignedly. "If you want the cylinder, I'm afraid you're too late. Gates has it now, and she's long gone. No point to any of this, unless you're planning to torture me for her location. And I assure you, I'm pretty hard to break."

"I don't care about the cylinder," she softly said, finally breaking her silence.

He rolled his eyes. "Right. Because you definitely didn't kill all those people just to get it back."

"Tobias, I-"

She cut off mid-sentence, but not like the previous times where it seemed a glitch was responsible; instead, it seemed as though she'd legitimately just been rendered speechless. She became quiet again, pausing to take the time to gather her thoughts before attempting to respond again.

"That wasn't me back there."

"Yeah, no kidding," he snidely remarked. "I don't know what you are exactly, 'Artemis', but you're definitely not Kay-"

"I'm not Artemis!" she yelled, her voice now firm and defiant. He fell silent, and prepared for her to attack him.

Upon seeing his reaction, she fell back into her soft-spoken mannerisms as though she was worried of frightening him. "But … I'm not quite who I used to be either."

He bounced that data against the walls of his mind a bit, his eyes widening at the implication. He leaned forward ever so slightly with a flicker of hope stirring in his chest. "… Kay?"

She lowered her head in a gesture that seemed most reminiscent of shame. "Yes … and no."

His emotions seemed to be getting put through the wringer, and it was leaving him more confused than anything. "That doesn't make any sense."

Another thought came to him, and his eyes narrowed. "How do I know you're not just Artemis trying to trick me?"

"As you saw, my- her methods are a bit … blunt," the one before him stated with distaste. "She doesn't have the same self-control that some of the others have, she's too driven. But I suppose that comes as part of my- her nature," she stammered.

He noticed the discrepancies, and remained defensive. "You slipped up there. Hard to speak about yourself in third person?"

She shook her head. "No, it's not like that! It's difficult to explain-" She stopped speaking again, and took another moment to think as she had done before.

"Separating her and myself as two individuals in mind and speech is difficult for the same reason that you have trouble comprehending my true nature," she tried to explain. "And in any matter, you can at least trust me for this; if you haven't noticed, you're not restrained. I didn't bring you here to torture you or get info out of you, I did it to save your life. You're not even locked out of the systems; you're in complete control of the ship."

That was news. Furrowing his brow, he weakly stood himself up and made his way to the pilot's console. He tested the controls, plotted a flight path and was surprised to see a confirmation icon appear waiting for his command. So it would appear that she was telling the truth.

He turned towards her. "Why?"

"I already told you, I'm not Artemis. I'll explain if you allow me, but I don't think you'd believe me unless there was some level of trust involved. Hopefully this is a good start; I know that I don't deserve your faith in me, but I need it if we're going to have any hope of going forward with a plan to stop Spyglass."

She noted that he still seemed to be in disbelief of that statement, and she shuffled anxiously. "I've also disabled the internal tracking device in my systems, the one that led the New Humanity forces to the Embers' fleet. Completely unviable now, even if I'm locked out again. No one but us knows where we are, and maybe not even then. I only warped a safe enough distance away in a random path to allow the frigate to escape, but I was waiting for you to wake up before setting a destination."

He looked out of the cockpit's window to see nothing but black and stars in ever direction. He certainly couldn't garner any specific location or even quadrant, but he was sure they'd have one once he checked with the navigational systems.

This situation kept getting weirder by the minute. But eventually, it was going to come to an end; either she was telling the truth, and he'd have to trust her enough to listen and take her at her word, or she was lying and he'd have to confront the problem. Either scenario was better to be dealt with as soon as possible, so he took a deep breath, walked a few paces back over to where the Simulacrum was waiting, and leaned against the wall.

"Alright. Let's hear it."

…

"Try again."

Gray obeyed, and began to scan all of the comm channels once more for anything resembling a friendly SOS. Gates watched with a stone in her gut, unable to shake the heavy feeling she'd acquired from both the emotional turmoil inside of her and the strong kick she'd received from Artemis.

Davis remained in the back with the researchers, Mayfair and Rye. Seeing as they were the only surviving researchers who had studied KT's new form, it was imperative that they make it to the rendezvous safely. In this war, information was one of the most powerful weapons they had, and they'd take every advantage they could get.

A red 'negative' icon appeared on the console, and Gates gave a tired sigh. She'd have to hope that both Tobias and the frigate were on their way to the rendezvous already, but it was obvious that they weren't anywhere near where the fleet had been before. Either way, they had to get on with their job.

"Plot a course for Atania," she ordered, "we need to get the Cinder and these two back to the fleet."

"Understood, ma'am," recited Gray, and she began to input the commands into the navigation console.

Feeling like bags of sand were tied to her legs, Gates trudged back into the main bay to get some answers before they arrived. Davis watched her come in, and moved to allow her room in front of the researchers.

"Alright," she began, her voice hard and unfriendly, "I may have just lost a friend to get you two and the Cinder out of there alive, so forgive me if I'm not in the greatest of moods right now. But you two can help with that a bit."

Mayfair swallowed, her face taking on a solemn expression. "Of course. What can we do?"

"Back on the frigate, you were going to tell Four and me what you found out about KT. What happened to her, to be more precise." She stepped forward, placing herself right in front of the two scientists. "For all we know, there might be some info on it in the Cinder, but I can't exactly access it right now, so I have to settle for you two. If you have anything on her condition, I need to hear it- what happened to her might be applied to every Titan AI that Spyglass has at his disposal, and I'd like to know how to beat them if he has an army of these things."

The woman nodded. "I understand. Before I continue though, I think I can reassure you a small amount; if what we think happened to her is what happened, then the risk of there being more like her is minimal."

That did ease a bit of the tension from Gates' body. "Good. Now, the cause?"

Mayfair took a small breath to relax herself. "We think she underwent a process known as fragmentation."

The term sounded familiar to Gates, but not quite to where she could place specific knowledge to it. "I think I've heard of that. Something to do with malfunctions, right?"

"Not exactly," Mayfair explained, "though malfunctions can be a symptom of the root problem. Fragmentation is more of an archaic term we have for a phenomenon we haven't seen a case of in decades. And even that case is uncertain, so it's more theoretical at this point than anything."

Gates would have pinched the bridge of her nose if she wasn't wearing a helmet. "So let me get this straight; you've diagnosed her with something that you're not even sure exists?"

"I understand that it's difficult to believe," she said, "but I believe all the signs are there."

Gates looked at Rye. "What about you? You have anything to add?"

He shook his head. "No, I don't know nearly as much about this subject as Dr. Mayfair. But the other researchers seemed to agree with her assertion, so she has my support."

Great, so Mayfair was the only one alive with even a possible grasp at what happened to KT. Gates couldn't help sighing again. "Alright, get on with it then."

"When the first Titans were built, their purpose was little more than a labor force," she began. "They were designed as heavy mechs that could be controlled by an operator, or left to their own devices. They didn't have an AI's back then, only OS's."

"What's the difference?"

"Picture a Titan of today without its data core," Mayfair suggested. "There's still an OS built into the chassis, but it's little more than a very basic defense protocol. It can move and follow simple orders, but that's as far as it goes. It doesn't think, it's more like an automated program than any kind of intelligence."

Gates nodded, understanding so far. "Go on."

"Well, as the purposes for Titans broadened and grew, so did development of the Titans themselves. There became a greater need for these Titans to act more efficiently, to be capable of tasks that they weren't with the OS's. Since artificial intelligence was no longer just a distant dream but a reality with several successful cases, the next step was to integrate them with Titans. And since then, we've only gone further and further; Spectres, Stalkers, and Reapers are all products of decades of research into military uses for simplistic AI's and OS's. We're even able to put human minds into artificial bodies, as seen with Simulacrums. But our greatest achievements were the Titan AI's that saw use until about six years ago."

Gates remembered the timeframe all too well. "That was the same year we assaulted Erebus."

"Yes. And not long after, the Vanguard Titans were introduced to the field. But they weren't just new chassises; they were imbued with 'new' AI's that were designed without advanced emotive processors like the previous incarnations."

She noticed the emphasis on 'new' that Mayfair had used, as though it wasn't entirely an accurate term. "Sounds like you have something to add."

Mayfair nodded. "I was one of many who worked on advancements in artificial intelligence for Hammond industries. I'd like to add that I never was allied with the IMC, not really-"

Gates waved her objections away dismissively. "Doesn't matter what side any of us were on before, we're all on the same one now. Continue."

"Well, we were tasked with creating AI's that found a middle ground in both the extreme efficiency that advanced emotive processors gave, and the weaknesses they provided when agitated."

She thought back to KT, and her distraught over Tobias' capture on Erebus. "Yeah, I know a thing or two about that."

"Indeed. We found that while the current AI's had greater efficiency when working together in a bond with their Pilots, they performed far poorer than acceptable when the two were separated. We traced the root of this problem to their emotions."

Gates crossed her arms and regarded the researcher doubtfully. "What do you mean, 'emotions'? Their emotive processors are meant to replicate and mirror emotions, not actually generate them."

Mayfair shook her head. "No. They can feel, just the same as you and I. Or, the old ones can. Now, the same type of AI's Vanguards use are present in just about every current generation Titan."

"But that doesn't make any sense," Gates argued confusedly, "we _built_ them. You're telling me that they somehow developed _feelings?"_

"The very nature of an AI almost requires that they have emotions," Mayfair clarified. "It's much easier to start work on something when you have a head-start rather than starting from scratch, and the greatest example of intelligence we had was ourselves. AI research began by taking human brains and trying to convert them into an inorganic form. The first AI's were just exact copies of the brains and people they'd come from."

This was a lot to take in, and it was giving her a headache. "You're telling me that AI's are just dead people?"

"Not anymore, no; that was decades ago. From there, we were able to create VI's, much simpler versions that handle processing and data for our ships, important facilities, and more. And as time went on, it was discovered how to create an AI without the need for a human 'parent', so to speak. So, as I said, you can see why it's more difficult to create an AI without feelings than with them; our emotions are one of the core traits that make us human, that make us feel alive. And for all intents and purposes, AI's _are_ alive. Just, much more advanced. It's hard to remove something so ingrained within us when you're trying to copy it into an AI."

"But you found a way?" remarked Gates, finally starting to see what Mayfair was getting at.

"Yes. The culmination of our project was an AI that possessed slightly less efficiency than the previous bonded pairs when together, but was much more likely to survive on its own if need be. From there, we were able to develop a new generation of AI's that were integrated into IMC Titans almost immediately. The old AI's weren't decommissioned, but as time went on they pretty much became extinct anyway due to the war. No production meant no increasing numbers for their kind. That was ten years ago, one year before Demeter. But it took the Militia four to five years to implement it into their own Titans. Probably just because it took them that long to steal it."

Or maybe they saw just how big a problem it could be when KT had to shut off her emotive processors just to deal with the pain of losing Tobias, and decided it was necessary to avoid that at all costs. But Gates wasn't about to talk about that period of time right now.

"I still don't get why the project was needed anyway," she admitted. "It can't have just been for that minor boost in efficiency, right?"

"You'd be correct," said Mayfair. "It was to prevent any mass cases of fragmentation that may have occurred in the years to follow. Though it was unlikely, it was still a possibility that fragmentation could become widespread amongst Titans due to the stresses of war. It would render most of them useless, and they couldn't afford to have such a large portion of IMC forces handicapped in such a way."

"How would it leave them useless? You still haven't explained what fragmentation is."

"None of us truly know, considering that it's all still theoretical. But the gist of it is that an AI splits itself apart, fragmenting into separate pieces of the whole. It was deemed so dangerous a process that any Titans who lost their Pilots but survived were taken to be decommissioned as per standard protocol."

The same protocol that almost made her decommission KT after she lost Shears on Nedar. If it hadn't been for Dimitri's intuition that Tobias would interfere …

"So that's why we had the protocol and phased out the old Titan AI's? To avoid fragmentation?" she asked.

"Yes. You see, we theorized that fragmentation would result after incredible trauma and stress were inflicted upon an artificial mind. Similar to victims of dissociative identity disorder, where the individual conjures up an entirely new personality to deal with the pain rather than facing it themselves. Except … worse."

"How so?"

"People with multiple personalities can heal, but we're not so sure of fragmentation. You can get rid of an extra persona, but fragmentation doesn't create new ones, it only tears the old one into separate components. To recover from fragmentation, you'd have to stitch them all back together somehow … but it might be rather difficult to overcome."

Gates tilted her head. "Yeah?"

"Whenever you make a decision, you play devil's advocate. You weigh every possibility until you come to an agreement with yourself on what to do. It may take place in less than a fraction of a second, but it still happens. But a fragmented AI would literally be fighting with itself constantly as the different pieces of its mind would likely have far different ideals and opinions depending on their nature. We think that fragmentation would cause an AI to shatter into the core traits of itself at first, then into minor traits with every subsequent split. And you can see where that might be a hazard in a war."

If Artemis was a core trait of KT, then Gates had some serious concerns about whatever that trait was.

"So, while potentially possible … we just don't know the specifics of how to put an AI back together after fragmentation, or even how one would fragment in the first place."

"I thought you said-"

"We know that it has to do with trauma," Mayfair hastily interrupted, "but just not the specifics; how much, of what kind, the toll it takes on the AI itself, et cetera. And it's highly unethical to perform any kind of experiment for the purpose of seeing the cause and effects of it, they're still real minds like ours. In fact, the only one suitable for knowing the ins and outs of fragmentation is probably an AI itself."

 _An AI itself._

Now she had a pretty good idea of what exactly Spyglass had been doing with KT ever since she was captured. And assuming Tobias found out about it, the leader of New Humanity was going to have a very angry Pilot out for his blood.

* * *

 _ **A/N: work and school are kicking my ass right now**_

 _ **all i ask in payment is that you enjoy the chapter and leave your thoughts**_

 _ **i'm too tired to come up with anything more for this authors note so toodle-oo**_

 _ **\- mattpoptarts**_


	16. Bridges

"El, we're a few minutes out from Atania!" Gray called to the back of the dropship. Gates heard her, and acknowledged the information with a quick nod of her head before returning her attention to Mayfair.

"Alright, follow-up question; if fragmentation was such a concern of becoming wide-spread, why do you think the risk of there being others like KT is minimal?"

"There are … several reasons," the doctor answered hesitantly. "I should note that it's all guesswork; albeit very _educated_ guesswork, but conjecture nonetheless."

"At this point, I've got no reason to doubt you," Gates sighed resignedly, "so lay it on me."

"Well, first is the scenario. Back then, we were at war constantly- battle was the only life that Titans knew, and we had no idea how long it would take the stresses of warfare to break an AI. Fortunately, there weren't many cases of Titans returning without their Pilots, all due to Protocol 3 of course; a Pilot stricken with PTSD over the loss of their Titan was seen as a much better alternative since they'd be able to link with another Titan much easier than vice versa; and soldiers don't waste hundreds of thousands of dollars when they're decommissioned."

A brutal perspective, but an understandable one. Gates bowed her head to signal Mayfair to continue.

"Nowadays however, there's peace; be it one that was forced upon us, the fact is that there's no war for Titans to endure. They only act as enforcers of the law now, at least the ones that work for Spyglass do. Their lives are relatively more relaxed now than they were several years ago, and I'm sure that this is part of the reason they stay with them; in spite of humanity's current condition, logically speaking we've been more tranquil than any other time in our history. The very lack of advanced emotion I helped to create may be what allows them to stay allied with New Humanity rather than letting a conscience talk them into abandoning it."

It made sense- less stress on the Titans meant less of a risk of fragmentation, so she could see Mayfair's reasoning. She also was beginning to get the idea that Mayfair partially blamed herself for humanity's current state, what with the subtle admission of guilt she'd just given the Captain. Her personal thoughts aside, Gates knew that now was not the time to chastise the researcher.

"Understood. Any other reasons?"

Mayfair nodded. "In all honesty, I find what I'm about to say far more likely than my previous guess. The fact of the matter is that fragmentation seems to be a delicate process, one that requires just enough torment for it to occur rather than a complete case of rampancy in the AI which would force it into non-functionality. So we must consider the resources and effort that it took for fragmentation to occur … as well as the subject."

Gates cocked her head. "The subject?"

Mayfair nodded grimly. "Spyglass could have chosen any AI at his disposal for the process, he has an overwhelming majority of them on his side- but he chose _her._ It's almost asinine to believe that he chose KT-0298, the one who helped Admiral Four win the fight against the Amalgamates and save the very galaxy, out of sheer coincidence. No, he chose her very specifically, which leads me to believe that she alone is the sole victim of fragmentation thus far."

"But if he did really just choose her for fragmentation … why her?"

"That's not the question you should be asking. Right now we can only guess as to why, but one thing is certain; he selected her for a particular reason. I think that she has some kind of role to play in his plans, one that can only be accomplished through fragmentation. We shouldn't be concerned with why he chose her; we need to be figuring out what the hell the role he intends for her is."

…

"Artemis and I are a product of Spyglass's machinations," the Simulacrum began, her voice cautious but also relieved that Tobias was allowing her a chance to defend herself. "Months upon months of attempted indoctrination and experimentation; what she calls 'enlightenment.' It … it's difficult to talk about."

He was intrigued, but kept his stance and facial expression neutral. "How so?"

"The memories aren't clear- they're broken up, almost hazy at times. It gets worse when all the voices talk at once, when they argue, everyone sees it from their own point of view and twists it you see- it's hard to decipher exactly what happened, but I know that I … Kay … was subjected to some kind of process that Spyglass oversaw. But for some reason, it specifically required me- her."

Every time she had to correct herself on the pronoun she used, he heard her tone become more dejected. If this was an act, it was very convincing. "You said earlier that you are and aren't Kay simultaneously. Care to explain that one?"

She nodded. "Picture your body as a whole; your arm is still you, but it isn't _all_ of you. So while it's still technically you, it's just … incomplete."

"And this was all part of the process?"

"More so a result of it; as far as I can tell, Spyglass intentionally wanted me- her to be like this. Split apart into different pieces as he hacked away at her mind until he had what he wanted."

He was beginning to understand more clearly now. "So you're a part of Kay?"

"Again, it's hard to explain. Yes, I'm incomplete, but … I still feel like myself, like Kay. Just … shattered. And Artemis feels the same way, as do the others."

"Forgive me if I'm a bit doubtful-"

"Tobias, I remember when you told me you weren't coming with us on Erebus."

He immediately stopped, as did his heart for a moment as his mind did a double take.

She continued, her voice low and holding back pain at the memory. "You closed the doors of the facility to keep Gates and I from trying to rescue you. I remember how wracked with grief I was when our connection was cut and I couldn't finish telling you just how much you meant to me. I remember how much I hated myself in that moment for telling you that I was with you to the bitter end; I felt that you took that too literally, as though I'd somehow given you my approval for it, and I blamed myself over your capture for a time."

She stared down at the floor, every word driving another knife through her heart as each memory was recalled, but she knew that it needed to be said. "As much as I hate to admit it … in spite of everything, I know that you made the right call. And if given the chance to do it over again, I wouldn't change a thing."

Looking up, her blue visor met his eyes with as prideful a gaze she could muster. "I was with you to the bitter end then, and that hasn't changed. Wherever you go, I will be at your side. For better or worse."

He didn't realize what an effect her speech had on him until he felt something run down his cheek, and wiped his hand across to find a streak of wetness there. Trying to regain his composure, he hurriedly dried his silent tears. She took a step forward to- whether to assist or comfort him- and he immediately reacted by holding a hand up and freezing her in place. Understanding that he wasn't ready for that yet, she returned to her former position.

When he was ready to talk, he gave her a curt nod. "Alright, so you have all of her memories. I'm still not convinced that makes you Kay; for all I know, they could have been taken from her data core and implemented into _you_."

"And what exactly do you think _I_ am?" she asked, hurt becoming prevalent in her voice.

That question sent him over the edge, and his demeanor changed in a split second as he threw his hands into the air yelling, _"I don't know!"_

She became silent as he took deep breaths to try and calm himself. But just as quickly as it appeared he was regaining control, he went on the offensive.

"I don't know, alright?! But this is too much for me to handle- Artemis _killed_ people, horrifically I might add. And you want me to accept that she's just as much Kay as you are?! If you even are what you say?"

He looked down and began to pace as much as it could be called that in the very small space provided by the bay. "I haven't seen you- I haven't seen Kay in a year, and suddenly she's back and killing people while claiming it's 'for us', then switches to you and you're telling me that you aren't her and you're on my side now? Can you see why I'm having a lot of trouble taking this in?!"

As he vented, he raised his voice with every passing sentence. When he finished, his chest heaved with adrenaline and pent up feelings that had been eating away at him for a while now; anger, disbelief, shock, horror. But most of all was pain, tearing through him worse than any bullet ever could.

Deep down, he really did believe her. And that was what hurt him- the idea that Kay had been reduced to a ruthless killing machine by Spyglass. That he'd experimented on her, perhaps tortured her after he'd acquired her. And he knew that none of it would have happened if he hadn't let her go on Luma.

Everything that had happened to her was his fault. Just as every action she took thereafter was a consequence of his own failure; the attack of the frigate, the slaughter of the research team, the marines and Titans in the hangar …

His fault.

It became too much for him to bear, and he slid down the wall until he came to stop on the floor. "I let this happen to her. She put her trust in me, and … and I let her down."

" _I_ put my trust in you. And you haven't let me down yet."

He looked up at her, his eyes empty and unfeeling. She'd called herself Kay again, probing his reaction. And what she saw hadn't changed.

She turned away, his rejection of her all too apparent. "You can't see me."

His face didn't change, but her vague statement was enough to make him ask. "What do you mean?"

"I'm right here- and you can't see me." She gestured to herself, indicating her new form with her hand. "I have to change my wording every time I speak because you know I'm telling the truth, but a small part of you refuses to let you accept the connection. I have to say 'Kay' instead of 'me', speaking in third-person as though I'm a stranger to my own mind."

She followed his example, and slid down the wall into a sitting position, her knees knit together in front of her. "Do you know how hard that is? To be next to you, talk to you, and see only denial in return? Do you understand how long I've waited to see you again, only to realize that you want nothing to do with me?"

She hung her head morosely, unable to find the motivation to keep holding her gaze with his. "The worst part is that I don't blame you. I can't, not after what you've seen me do. I know full well that if Artemis was here, I'd be right back to- doing _that_ again. And I wouldn't even feel bad about it, not as- not as _her,_ anyway."

He stared at her, trying to figure out a way to handle this. That was always how he worked; trying to find a solution to the impossible. It was how he survived, why he saved the fleet on Erebus, why he tried to save Tyra even though he'd known she was beyond saving, why he was so willing to sacrifice himself so long as it completed the mission. No matter the circumstance, he always found a way.

But this … this wasn't a battle he could win based on wits.

He tried to speak past the lump in his throat. "I … I get it. I can't blame you for what Artemis did. Kay would have never-"

She was shaking her head before he was even finished speaking. "There it is again, trying to pretend that I'm someone else." Raising her head once more, he found himself locked in her glare. "I _am_ Kay. Artemis _is_ Kay. I am not Artemis, and yet- we are the same person. Two parts of a whole acting independently of one another."

Unexpectedly, she slammed a fist into the floor out of frustration. " _Why!_ Why am I so … broken?"

Through that outburst, he realized that she wasn't just hurting from his refusal to accept her; even she hated what she'd become. She spoke about Artemis in such a negative way, but still maintained that Artemis was in no different a position than she was. It sounded like … like someone defending a part of themselves, in spite of how much they may not care for it.

He thought back to his past, a past that had haunted him many times in recent years; he thought back to the time when he would have put himself above all other concerns, prioritizing his own life over others and the mission. As much as he didn't like to admit it, he would never be able to deny that his past was and would always be a part of him, helping to shape him into the person he was today.

If he compared that to what he'd seen in front of him, the similarities between her predicament and his own were startling.

He found himself inexplicably drawn to her visor, ice-blue and glowing ever so slightly in the dim lighting of the dropship's bay. He couldn't help but allow his mind to shape it, to alter it ever so slightly …

And now what he saw was not the visor of an advanced Simulacrum, but the optical unit of a Vanguard Titan. A very _familiar_ Vanguard Titan.

 _Kay._

All at once, he knew what he had to do. Not just for her sake, but for his; to finally cement acceptance into his head and move forward.

She was still crestfallen and staring down at the floor idly when she felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her. She stiffened slightly at the unexpected intrusion, and became aware of him kneeling on the ground as he hugged her.

He'd found his solution. Maybe his mind wouldn't make the connection … but his heart was more than happy to.

He could feel her metallic form, still 'tense' at his unexpected show of kindness. She needed to know that he wasn't doing this just to appease her, that he truly understood. So he told her what she needed to hear more than anything else right now.

"I trust you, Kay."

At that, she finally gave in and wrapped her own arms around him as well. Her body relaxed as she heard the truth in his voice and saw it in his action. She knew he loved her, that had never been a doubt in her mind- but she had thought she'd never be able to regain his trust in her again. To have him mend the bridge that she'd burned between them …

It almost made her feel whole again.

* * *

 _ **A/N: i felt a great disturbance in the force**_

 ** _it was as though hundreds of KTobias shippers suddenly leapt from their chairs and cried out in joy_**

 ** _\- matt-E-O-tarts_**

 ** _its 2 in the morning ill misspell my name if i goddamn want to, who the fuck do you think you are_**

 ** _also to that guest that said last chapter was a short chapter, it was the longest chapter in like 4 chapters at over 3,000 words, so suck it_**


	17. Blue Drift

_**A/N: Before you continue, I have some important news to share!**_

 _ **First off, yesterday was the one-year anniversary of this series! It was on August 24, 2016 that I first published "Inferno", and it's always amazing for me to see how far this whole thing has come. Thanks to all who have been here since the beginning and drove my motivation to write!**_

 _ **Onto the second piece of news; there's now an Architects' Discord server! It's not much, just a place for people to talk and hang out while being partially dedicated to the series. It's a better method of communication with updates and talking to the community than these author notes, so if you'd like to join then please feel free!**_

 _ **The invite link is ( discord . gg / zmPGAhB )**_

 _ **Obviously, you just remove any spaces in there and you should be good to go. If you want to talk with me directly or just have a good time in general, then this will be the best place to do it!**_

 _ **Now, onto the chapter.**_

* * *

Now that he'd embraced her, he didn't want to let go; but he still had a job to do, and so it was with a bit of reluctance that he relinquished his hold on her and stepped back as he rose to full height again.

Slowly, she stood up and took her previous position against the wall. The wounds between them weren't fully healed, they wouldn't be for a while- but it was definitely a more comfortable atmosphere than it had been a few minutes previously.

"So," he began, his mind back on trying to figure out as much as he could about her peculiar situation, "you mentioned others. Are there more of you? Besides you and Artemis, I mean."

She gave a small nod of confirmation. "There are five, at least as larger fragments go. There could be any multitude of smaller shards that each has within themselves. It's a struggle to remain in control as-is, let alone when trying to hold yourself together as well."

The way she spoke, it sounded like it was a constant battle just to be coherent. He could only imagine how it would feel to have different aspects of yourself all vying for control. "Five of you? And even then-?"

"Yes. When I originally split apart, Artemis was the first persona to materialize. Something about her pleased Spyglass, but he kept wanting more. That was how I- the one you see in front of you- came to be, though it still wasn't enough. Apparently, I wasn't what he was looking for- he kept tearing until he had another fragment he considered useful, and then stopped. Maybe he didn't want to risk further damage- maybe he just didn't want other personas worthless to his cause, like me."

The thought of Spyglass hurting Kay made Tobias' blood boil, and he unconsciously tightened his hands into fists. He would find out what exactly the AI had done to her, and make him pay if it was the last thing he did.

"What was he looking for?"

"I don't know- I only know that after the fifth was created, he stopped. He gave my pieces designations to specify their nature and order- you already know Artemis." She made a small gesture towards herself. "My current designation is 'Pietas', the second to appear. After me came 'Virtus', 'Themis', and 'Athena', the last to be created. After her, Spyglass ceased all attempts to fragment me further and opted to work with what he had."

"Pietas?"

Kay looked at him and nodded, though her manner was a bit more reserved now. Was she afraid that he saw her differently again?

"Don't worry," he assured her, "I'm not going back on what I said. I'm just using the name for clarification's sake."

Her mind at ease again, she relaxed. "Alright. Yes, the current persona is Pietas."

"Those are some pretty unique names," he remarked, furrowing his brow in thought. "Any idea why he chose them?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, Spyglass likely knows more about my condition and its results than I do myself. I- I didn't even know what had happened to me until I heard the voices, and felt-"

She stopped speaking, holding a hand to her head out of reflex. "Sorry- like I said, memories and events can be … harsh … to recollect. Five different minds, all with their own opinion of how things proceeded. That's why it gets hard to remember- though I may see it one way, another may see it differently, and then there's a conflict in how it's interpreted to the persona-"

He noticed her speech becoming jittery, and immediately held out a hand to calm her as he remembered what had happened in the hangar. "Hey, it's alright. Just … take a moment."

She obeyed, and he was relieved to see her mannerisms return to normal. How curious … "Speaking of separate personas, how are you the one in control right now? Why did Artemis have a meltdown in the hangar?"

"Like I said, it's enough of a struggle to simply remain present as the primary persona," she explained. "But when you have a chorus of other voices yelling and arguing within your own mind … well, it can overwhelm me- us. And you were the one that inundated her."

"Me?" he asked, though he had a feeling she was right. He knew that there had been something he was doing to trigger such a reaction from the Simulacrum.

"My fragments- they all act unconstrained of one another, pushing a decision based on their own ideas and mindsets. They're all a part of me, but they represent different ideals of mine, exhibit different traits and mannerisms. And when those ideals contest one another, it becomes incredibly hard to maintain a present mind."

She motioned to him, indicating his involvement. "You questioned my motives, my morals, and my loyalty. I was stressed enough as it was, but you added another burden for my mind to bear, and it became too much. Artemis lost control, and allowed this fragment- Pietas to take her place. It very nearly happened earlier several times, namely when you rejected me back on Ceto- but it took that final confrontation in the hanger to fully overload me."

He noticed the wording, and decided it couldn't hurt to inquire. "You don't just have your old memories, do you? You remember everything- even when you were Artemis."

Almost shamefully, she looked away and whispered quietly, "Yes."

He said nothing, allowing her to continue at her own pace. It was another few seconds before she felt strong enough to share with him.

"I felt every emotion that ran through her mind- because it's my mind too," she muttered. "I see everything that she saw- did everything that she did. I can still feel one of the researcher's necks snapping as I-"

Her body shuddered, uncannily close to how a human would when crying. "I … I was _disappointed."_

"Well of course you were," he comforted her, "you knew that-"

"No," she interrupted, "I wasn't disappointed in myself. I was disappointed in _them-_ that they could have been a part of'humanity's salvation' … I taunted them, I …"

She began to wring her hands, and he looked with widening eyes to notice that dried blood still coated them. "That's the worst part- right now I feel shame, I feel guilt for what I did … but if it were Artemis then I'd go back to thinking I was justified, that it was all necessary for the cause, and I-"

He stopped her by moving forward and grabbing her hands with his own. He squeezed gently, giving her any semblance of reassurance that he could provide. "Hey, look at me."

It took her a moment, but she listened and met his eyes with her visor.

"I know you're blaming yourself right now, but you can't."

"How can you just say that so easily?"

"Because I _know_ you. Kay, I know you better than I know myself sometimes. And if you were complete, there's not a doubt in my mind that you'd never have done what you did as Artemis."

She moved to interrupt, but he silenced her objection with a stern look. "I know, you and Artemis are both Kay. I didn't say that maybe you wouldn't have thought about doing it, but all of us have inhibitions that usually keep us from acting out on our darkest thoughts. Maybe Artemis doesn't have those same inhibitions, and that part of you needs the others to reign it back in."

Understanding what he was trying to say, she pondered that and considered its accuracy. Then she noticed something else.

"Kay. You called me Kay, not Pietas."

He nodded. "I told you, I just wanted to specify the designation of your current fragment. But no matter what they're called, I know now that you're all of them. You may not be whole- but it's you all the same."

 _He does understand. He knows it's me-_

 _No! He only sees me this way because I fit his preconceived notions of 'Kay'-_

 _It doesn't matter! He's risking so much just by trusting us, let alone by trying to change his perception-_

 _It's unlikely that his mind could have been persuaded so easily, he's probably just pretending-_

She held her crimson-stained hands up to her head, trying to shut the voices out. They clawed at the edges of her mind, some more fiercely than others. Doubt ran rampant through her mind where only moments before had been solace.

All at once, it ceased as she felt his arms surround her once again. The voices fell silent, and her mind was once again her own.

He held onto her tightly, hoping to keep her from having another episode like on Ceto and in the hangar. He'd learned by now that his actions spoke volumes more than his words ever could when it came to suppressing the internalized conflicts she had.

"Thank you," she murmured, and held tightly onto his right hand with her own. "I just … sometimes it's so hard-"

"No explanation necessary," he affirmed to her, "I can't imagine what it feels like, but I know it's not pleasant."

They stayed that way for a few minutes, simply enjoying the closeness of one another's presence. They hadn't had a moment like this in so long … it felt nice to have a comforting reprieve for once.

A thought came to him, and he realized the implications of a fractured AI mind. "Kay … when you activated the Tempest, I was able to bring you back because your soul was still tethered to the copy of yourself in my helmet. But … if your mind is fragmented so badly, what does that mean for-"

"For my soul?" she finished, her own voice a mixture of curiosity and worry. "I … I don't know."

He took a deep breath before suggesting what he was thinking. "I think I might have a way to find out."

She turned her head around to look at him, confused.

"Remember that, uh … _experience_ on Luma?"

Recognition dawned on her, and she thought about it. "I … I suppose it's worth a try."

…

 _He looked around and saw the familiar desolate landscape of the void. This place held many memories for him; where he'd first become the Inferno, where he and Kay had solidified their feelings for one another, and where he'd had to save her from after the Tempest._

 _Now, it was where he'd discover how broken she truly was._

 _He'd reached out through the Inferno since she was no longer able, the essence within her having been taken to generate the Tempest's destructive power. He looked for any sign of the blue-flamed woman he knew so well-_

 _He froze, his gaze lingering on an anomaly. Lying on the ground a few paces away was his target, her soul. But she did not stir; instead, she seemed to twitch weakly upon the ground intermittently, blind to the world for all intents and purposes. Her form flickered, like a light that hung on the edge of burning out._

 _He reached out to touch her, his fingers gently making contact as he placed his hand over her chest. As soon as they did, more anomalies materialized around them, a thin strand of light connecting each of them to the original. He jerked back in surprise, but quickly recovered._

 _Standing up, he began to examine each of them in earnest. There were five, each of which with their own unique color. A few took notice of him immediately. They all seemed to be wispier than the original, more like a gas than the ethereal light that the prone one was composed of._

 _Three of them approached him closely, their bodies not quite solid; they seemed to shift, their surface constantly in motion and splitting before mending itself. He could see what she'd meant by increased fragmenting within each persona itself; it seemed as though even these pieces were composed of thousands of smaller pieces within them, growing exponentially more complex with each tear._

 _The one in the center stood forward, the other two at her sides. She was a golden-orange hue while her two companions were a light green and bright crimson. An odd aura surrounded her, making her just a bit brighter than the others. If he were to take a guess, he'd wager that this was Pietas, the primary fragment in control._

 _One of them stood just as close, but separate from the others, this one a dark indigo. Rather than trying to familiarize herself with him, she simply observed him. There was no sense of warmth there that he felt with the other three; just cold calculation._

 _The last fragment did not even approach him; she stood away from the others and him, facing away into the endless void. He looked to Pietas, and she stared at the other persona with both regret and caution. He looked back at the outlier, and took a gamble._

 _He closed the distance between them, waiting for her to acknowledge him. It wasn't long before she turned around to do so, and they met one another's gaze. She was a vibrant rose color, almost magenta._

 _It was not her choice to be so separate from the others; it was simply a fault of her own nature, as well as a literal representation of his earlier rejection of her. He knew now who this was._

 _Artemis._

* * *

 _ **A/N: CAN YOU SAY TRIPLE UPDATE, GODDAMN**_

 _ **Before you go, just want to remind you again; if you want to join the Architects' Discord server, the invite link is**_

 _ **( discord . gg / zmPGAhB )**_

 _ **without any spaces. I wish there was a better way to send links on this site, but there's not much I can do. Hope to see you there!**_

 _ **Until the next time,**_

 _ **\- Matteoarts**_


	18. Plan of Action

_With a clink that only he heard over the sounds of jubilance behind him, Tobias drained the contents of his drink and placed his now-empty glass on the bar._

 _Surprisingly, the bottom cracked and a fissure appeared which subsequently spread to the other sides of the glass, marring its otherwise perfect and clear surface. Perhaps he'd slammed it a little harder than he'd meant to. With a slightly delayed reaction due to the buzz he was finally starting to feel, he frowned and inspected the glass out of curiosity more than actual concern for the broken item._

 _It certainly wasn't the only broken thing around here, but it was infinitely more replaceable._

 _Celebrations over the Seed's demise had been running since a few hours after the announcement came that the Amalgamation had been stopped. In less than two days, the disturbing race of rock-like abominations had made appearances all over the frontier and begun to assimilate each colony's inhabitants. It was astounding how high of a body-count they'd racked up in such a short amount of time; he understood now how even an advanced race such as the Architects almost fell victim to the pestilence as well._

 _It had been two days since the Tempest event, and word had rapidly spread that the hell was over just about as quickly as it had materialized. People were beginning to show their joy in the best way that humans knew how; by getting shit-faced drunk and trying to forget the whole ordeal._

 _Originally, he hadn't had any intention of partaking in the galactic-wide party. He'd sat out near the array for a good hour or so, only moving when a retrieval team had come to collect him, Skids, and KT's remains. As per standard protocol, they'd tried to move her parts to the cargo bay for salvage and scrapping. It was common for destroyed Titans to get broken down into individual components to make new ones, so they were reasonably startled when he'd held a gun on them and firmly told them that under no circumstances were they allowed to lay so much as a finger on her._

 _After alerting Gates, the acting commanding officer of the local Militia forces on Harmony, she was quick to side with Tobias and work out a compromise. They let him keep the data-core, or what was left of it anyway. He knew that this was what KT truly was anyway, not so much the chassis she was put in- but it still pained him to see that blue and white paint of that Vanguard corpse disappear from view as it was hauled off._

 _Now, the core sat on his bed in the quarters that had been assigned to him temporarily until he was allowed off-world. Briggs and Graves had contacted the higher-ups here to personally let them know, based on his actions over the last few days and weeks, Lieutenant Four was now Rear Admiral Four. As such, he was one of the highest ranking individuals in the Militia now, and the highest ranking officer on Harmony. As such, he'd been given some proper quarters to accommodate himself while he oversaw the reconstruction efforts on Harmony._

 _He didn't care about the promotion other than the quarters; all he wanted was privacy, and they provided exactly that. But everything else was white noise to him nowadays, unimportant and generally just static to his grieving mind._

 _He wasn't ashamed to say that he'd spent last night clutching the core as he fell asleep, tears silently streaming down his face as he tried to force himself to enter blissful oblivion. But there was no point; when he was awake, his sorrow kept him up for hours thinking about her, and when he did manage to get some sleep it was always punctuated by nightmares of the Amalgamates._

 _He wasn't going to go through that again, so he was here at a relatively intact bar where soldiers of IMC and Militia alike had flocked to for celebration. If he was going to get any sleep without the image of Kay or an Amalgamate staring back soullessly at him, he was going to need to be wasted._

 _As far as he knew, the bar hadn't been empty since the celebration started. It was certainly in much better condition than other establishments around town, only suffering broken windows and some superficial damage inside. Dust was scattered all over the floor, but nobody cared. The air was filled with the sounds of those happy to be alive, grateful to have survived the ordeal. Fortunately, though everyone now knew that 'Pilot Four' was the reason for their salvation, nobody knew what he looked like and so he was mercifully left alone to his own devices._

 _At least, he had been- but with the person stumbling over to the wobbly bar stool next to him, he suspected that his solitude was about to be cut short._

 _At first, he thought it was Gates- she'd tried to contact him several times yesterday, but he'd chosen to ignore her messages- but it wasn't the case. The man's salt-and-pepper hair was longer than regulation generally allowed, but not quite long enough to be a problem. Their face held a familiar bliss expression that Tobias had come to associate with inebriation, though their features twisted themselves into curiosity when they analyzed him a little closer. He sighed, preparing to leave once he was recognized-_

" _Wha' happened to your glass?"_

 _At first, he didn't know what the man was talking about. Then he realized that they were referring to the broken glass on the counter in front of him. "Oh. Uh-"_

" _Can' have my frien' here without a drink! 'Issa celebration!"_

 _Turning to the solider who'd taken over as the temporary bartender, he waved him over. " Hey! 'Nother glass for my frien' here!" The slurring in his words was bad, but not quite to the point where his request fell on deaf ears. After a few seconds, a freshly filled glass slid into position in front of Tobias._

 _He glanced at the man who cheerfully stared back at him. "… Thanks."_

" _Not a problem."_

 _He raised an eyebrow at the sudden clarity in the new arrival's speech, much to the latter's enjoyment._

" _What, you think an old guy like me hasn't learned how to hold his liquor? Please kid, I could probably drink this whole damn bar and walk away without so much as a buzz." He sighed, leaning back. "Both an advantage and a curse of becoming tolerant of this stuff."_

" _Why the act, then?" questioned Tobias._

" _Because I'm not as much of a people-person as others like to make me out to be, and I've found that the best way to avoid attention is to be an annoying drunk. Everyone either tries to actively keep you away from 'em, or just straight up ignore you."_

" _If you're trying to avoid people, then why-"_

" _Why come over here?" he finished, chuckling lightly. "I know the look of someone who's been beaten down, even without the fact that their hands are twitching so much that they break their glass."_

 _In confusion, Tobias looked at his right hand to see that the newcomer was right; it wouldn't stop shaking as stress caused him to lose acute control of some motor functions. Clenching his jaw, he set it back on the counter._

" _I know why I get drink- or at least why I used to, now it's more of a habit than anything. I drink to forget, to help myself move on. And I know that's not something unique to me, so I'm guessing you have a reason somewhere along those lines?"_

 _Tobias said nothing, unwilling to admit just how close to the mark the man was._

" _Lost someone?"_

" _Why do you care?" he snapped back, hoping to intimidate the guy back into silence. Surprisingly, it seemed like he'd been expecting it._

" _Because I've lost people too," he said as he shrugged. "You don't get to my state of alcohol tolerance without a lot of drinking, and a lot of forgetting."_

" _And who are you?" Tobias challenged, though he knew his argument was losing ground._

" _Robert Barker, leader of the ACES," he introduced himself with a mock flourish. "Friends call me Taube, but you and I aren't quite there yet. Though I guess I did refer to you as one to the bartender-"_

" _What are you doing here?" asked Tobias, his curiosity now piqued._

" _What am I doing on Harmony? I mean, the fleets were moved here to protect and oversee all evacuees. Of course, it was a bad stroke of luck that this also happened to be the array world- or maybe it was a good one, considering that we needed every bit of firepower here to survive. Oh well."_

 _Barker faced him again. "As for why I'm in the bar, it's the same as everyone else- celebrating that I'm alive, remembering the ones that I've lost."_

" _I thought you said you drink to forget?" Tobias pointed out, confused at the seemingly instant change of premise._

" _Not people," Barker retorted, "the pain. I drink to numb the pain and help myself move on piece by pice- but not people. Never people. I'm not usually one for meaningful advice, but I will tell you this, kid; it's a dishonor to anyone's memory to try and forget their death."_

 _He grabbed his own glass, emptying the contents into a flask he brought with him for later, and then signaling the bartender for another drink. "They put their lives on the line, even gave them for the greater good. No sacrifice like that should ever be forgotten. And so long as you keep a piece of them alive in your memory … then they're never really gone, are they?"_

 _Tobias said nothing, too surprised by the man's sudden bout of philosophical thinking to speak. But as he sat there processing what Barker had said, he felt the weight of his words resonate with him like a truth that he'd known, but had been unwilling to accept._

 _KT was dead. But the last thing she'd want him to be doing was to stagnate and let her death hold him back. His grief wasn't going to return her to life, nothing would- but maybe he could honor her memory by cherishing the time that they'd had rather than focusing on the time that they'd lost._

 _Still, he didn't expect to suddenly be cured from his depression, so he accordingly held up his glass to toast Barker. The other man brought his own glass into contact enthusiastically._

" _To the memory of our fallen!"_

 _Tilting their heads back, they each drained their glass and set them back on the counter._

 _Reaching over, Barker gave him a solid pat on the back. "I hope something I said helps you, however little it may be. I'll see you around, Four."_

 _He stood up and left the bar with his flask of stolen whisky, Tobias nodding respectfully at him as he left._

 _Funny. Faintly through the bleary buzz that the alcohol was giving him, he realized that he'd never told Barker his name._

* * *

Stepping back from her, he held his hand to his head as his physical senses returned to him in a rush of sensation.

Tilting her head, Kay watched him with concern. "Are you alright?"

He was nodding before she'd finished her query. "Yeah, I- I'm fine."

She noticed his stutter, but did not press the matter. "What did you see?"

He raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Did you not see any of that?"

She paused, trying to best formulate a proper description of her own experience. "It was odd- I felt like I was seeing you from different angles, each with their own thoughts and perspectives. But I couldn't see myself at all- it's very confusing for me."

Was she unable to properly compile the memory? He supposed that perhaps this condition of hers was far more damaging than he'd thought. "Well, to call it 'concerning' would be putting it lightly."

Kay remained silent, watching him and likely evaluating his micro expressions to judge how severe the news really was. At this point, he didn't really care. He just leaned against the side of the bay, wanting nothing more than a bit of stability- in perhaps more ways than one.

Of all the memories that came to mind, he was surprised to recall his first meeting with Barker back on Harmony. The man had known Tobias had still been reeling from KT's death, and came to subtly comfort him when he rejected everyone else. He'd somehow known that Four wasn't the kind to accept help willingly, so he'd hidden his intentions and given the newly-made Admiral some advice when it came to dealing with grief.

All these years later, that advice still stuck with him just as vividly as the pain upon losing KT did. To remember the fallen, and forget the pain.

The problem was that it seemed fate had no intention of letting him move on. He was overjoyed to bring Kay back from the void-scape, only to have their world fall apart weeks later when Spyglass attacked. They at least had each other until he thought he'd lost her for good when she left him on Luma. And then she returned, but as a fragmented shell of her former self twisted into a weapon to be used against him.

Now, he was hesitant to let himself hope again. To hope that everything would turn out okay this time when experience told him time and time again that it would never be the case.

If he couldn't hope for his own sake … then maybe he could at least hold out hope for hers. One way or another, he wouldn't let her be stolen from him again.

He looked aimlessly at the floor, losing himself in thought as he turned the workings of his mind to assess their predicament. "We can't go to the rendezvous point."

She seemed surprised, or at least as surprised as one could be without an actual facial expression. "Why not? It shouldn't be too hard to narrow down the coordinates via the ship's nav system, assuming it's been there before-"

"Not yet. Their safety is my top priority, and-"

"And I'm a threat."

She said it as a statement rather than a question, not bothering to hide the disappointment in her voice. He sighed, and leveled his gaze with hers.

"No. This condition of yours is a threat. I trust you, Kay- but not each of your parts acting on their own. Artemis may not intend to be malicious, but 'she' is still a threat without the other personas working together as natural inhibitors. People have thoughts all the time that they'd never normally act upon- but with your mind the way it is, none of your fragments have the others to stop them from acting without thinking."

He gestured towards her with a general wave of his hand. "We've seen how hard it is for you to maintain control, though that's not really your fault. But until we have some assurance that you're safe for the others to be around, I don't want to take any risks."

Once he shared his reasoning and perspective with her, she couldn't help but agree and even support his argument. Kay nodded, and looked towards the nav console. "So, I'm assuming you have a plan?"

"You know me too well," he muttered as he turned to enter the cockpit, though his tone suggested that there was a smile on his features. "Fact of the matter is that we've got a plethora of problems we need to solve, and not enough time." He turned back to look at her as he sat in the pilot's seat. "What can you tell me about Spyglass's plans for Coalescence?"

She shook her head regretfully as she followed him and sat in the other chair. "Not much. He never shared a lot with me to begin with, seeing as he only considers himself wholly trustworthy. And anything that I might have thought was important was wiped when you brought me to the Embers fleet."

He looked at her questioningly, and she shrugged. "I was still Artemis, remember? The Embers were still 'the enemy'. Had to keep data out of their hands."

Tobias grunted frustratedly. "Well, I can't say I wasn't expecting that. Just another thing to add to the list."

"And what list would this be?"

He held up a fist and began to count with his fingers. "For starters, we need to learn more about the Coalescence- more specifically, how Spyglass intends to distribute the nanites. Carson didn't know, so that falls on us to find out. Secondly, we need to find a way to undo whatever he's done to you. I don't want to find out the consequences of long term 'AI schizophrenia' the hard way."

She nodded, accepting his logic so far. "And the third thing?"

He exhaled grimly, his cheeks puffing out a bit as he did so. "Not gonna lie to you, it's gonna be tough. But the good news is that if we pull it off, then we might have a better chance of solving our other two problems."

If she'd had eyebrows, she would have raised one quizzically. "You still haven't told me what it is …"

"Well, Carson said that Spyglass was holding Al'cor for some reason or another, that she was probably important to whatever plan he's been cooking up these last few years. So unless I'm mistaken, I think that there's an old Architect friend of ours who needs rescuing."

* * *

 _ **A/N: There may be some more time between updates as college life, work, and other projects take up much of my time. Don't want to get into personal details or anything, just letting you all know.**_

 _ **Last chapter I messed up the link, so if you had an error when joining the discord server the link is**_

 _ **discord . gg / zmPGAhB**_

 _ **with no spaces.**_

 _ **On another note, I'm currently writing my own fully original novel that so far is simply named, "Eden." Not gonna give too many details since I'm not sure if I'll even post it online just yet, but I might if it sounds like anything you all might be interested in reading.**_

 _ **Until the next time,**_

 _ **\- Matteoarts**_


	19. Reflections

**THE EMERALD STRETCH, LUMA**

* * *

"Alright, we've been cleared for landing. You sure you remember your cover?"

"My memory is literally a database, of course I remember!"

Tobias sighed as he eased up on the stick to bring them in for a gentler descent. "Sorry. You can never be too careful, especially in a place like this."

He gave her another quick scan to ensure that her clothing was in place, a small padded jacket with a hood and cargo pants to cover up as much of her as possible. He himself was wearing some of the same pants and a form-fitting sweatshirt.

He'd chosen their outfits for use, sure; he definitely wanted to be able to maneuver well if they entered combat. But camouflage was a must as well; if they were going to pull this off, they'd need to blend in and look like they belonged here, and that was going to be hard enough with Kay's body surely attracting unwanted attention if people were to see her.

"It's Luma," she scoffed, "I don't remember security being one of their priorities."

He cast a sideways glance at her. "Maybe the more intellectual parts of you are with one of the other personas, because you should know better than to assume that. And it's not just any part of Luma- it's the Emerald Stretch."

"Forgive my ignorance, but I don't understand the significance."

"It's one of the few places on Luma left that's not completely covered by cities and buildings," he explained. "As such, it's a pretty desirable location. A lot of the wealthier people who lived here wanted to keep it that way, and so they made pacts in the past with the government to allow them facilities for whatever they wanted. In exchange, any nature within a certain radius of the stretch is protected and off-limits to construction."

Kay hummed in thought. "Greenery must be a pretty well sought-after sight here on Luma, huh?"

"I'd imagine that staring at nothing but buildings all the time would take its toll on someone, yeah. But higher security is a side effect here. They may not necessarily be in league with New Humanity, but it doesn't hurt to be careful."

They passed the next few seconds in silence until the muffled _thump_ of the landing gear making contact with the ground caused them to look at each other.

"Alright," he breathed with a tinge of nervousness in his voice, "showtime. Grab the gear, and follow my lead."

A few moments later, the two of them stood on the ramp as it lowered to allow them to disembark. He walked down first, moving to greet the officer presiding over the landing pad. The woman scrutinized a data pad in her hand to confirm his identity.

"Are you Ignacio Ardor?"

He nodded. "Yes, that's me."

At the sound of metallic footsteps, her gaze wandered over to the ramp where her eyes found Kay and then opened widely in surprise. "Uh, and what-?"

"This is Ava de Ferrers, Simulacrum. She's with me."

'Ava' waved one of her hands at the officer while the other continued to hold the storage crate in her arms. "Pleasure to meet you."

The woman analyzed her up and down. "Never seen a Simulacrum like that before."

"I've got friends in high places," she answered vaguely.

She looked back at the data pad, an expression of surprise beginning to bloom across her face. "I've never heard of you, yet your ID has security clearance for the Emerald Stretch?" She raised an eyebrow at Tobias inquisitively. "Mind filling me in on that particular … anomaly?"

He reached a pouch and pulled out a small glass cube with what appeared to be a coin suspended inside. Letting her see it clearly, he simply answered lowly, "I've got friends in high places too."

Her eyes widened at what she saw before she quickly nodded and waved them forward. "You're cleared, Mr. Ardor. Just … try not to cause too much trouble, yeah?"

He gave her his signature two-finger salute, and Kay couldn't help but give a small chuckle. It was something that he'd done since she'd first met him, it was just so … _Tobias._ Seeing him do something so simple and innocent like that reminded her of the old days, when it was just the two of them against the world- perhaps more literally than other people would usually think.

Sure, there had always been some world-ending crisis to stop, but they'd always had each other. Even after Spyglass had taken over, they'd traveled from world to world together until the leader of New Humanity's false declaration of death had put that to an end and forced them into hiding.

Right now … this mission was the first time they were working together again since she'd been captured by the sadistic AI. And knowing how close they'd been once- or at least how close they'd been to _being_ close _-_ all she wanted was to have that bond between them restored once more.

"That was close," she murmured, moving up to keep pace with Tobias as he walked out of the port and into the city. "I thought she wouldn't let us through."

"Oh, she was going to let us through the whole time," he assured her confidently.

If she'd had eyebrows, she would have raised them. "How do you know?"

"Maybe a few years ago, when everyone thought Spyglass might actually do some good. But now, with humanity in the state it's in?" He shook his head. "People just don't care any more. The only way she would have stopped us is if she felt we were a threat to the Emerald Stretch or its citizens, and we're not; my token of good faith showed her that."

He pulled it out again, and held it up for Kay to see. The coin inside the glass had an emblem of a cracked planet with a sword sticking through it vertically, and the words 'Primus Inter Pares' emblazoned in a crescent over it. She recognized it from a quick net search.

"The mark of the Advocate?" she asked in a hushed tone.

He nodded. "A few months ago, I was here on Luma gathering more food and supplies to take back to Ceto. But when I got back to the landing pad, it was completely clear of security and several people were waiting for me outside the Leatherback. I thought I was going to have to fight my way out until they assured me that they knew who I was, and were there to help."

He pocketed the cube. "They gave me a data pad and this thing- whether to remind me that someone was looking out for me, or simply that I owed them, I'm not sure which. But the pad had all the records needed for a new identity- this 'Ardor' one- and several leads which I became very keen on investigating."

"What were they?" she asked.

"Not even the Advocate knew for certain- but it said that there was a high likelihood of 'something I was personally invested in' either being located in Helix City on Thone, or the Emerald Stretch on Luma. I assumed he meant information on your whereabouts, so I prepared for a trip and went looking. Then I had to save Gates in the middle of my investigation, and was forced to get off-planet in a hurry before getting tangled up in the mess we're in now."

"So the Advocate is the one who tipped you off about this place," she concluded, finally putting the pieces together.

"Right. If Al'cor is being held anywhere, it's either here or on Regis itself." He gestured to the open air. "But I've got a feeling she's here instead- what better place to hide something than in plain sight? Not to mention that he'd never put all of his eggs in one basket- he had info on you and development of the nanites on Thone, his base of operations and physical work on you was on Regis … makes sense that he'd keep research on Al'cor somewhere distant and noisy to keep anyone from being the wiser."

He then turned around behind them to point at the receding port in the distance. "I did a bit of research myself, and I think I've pretty much narrowed down the Advocate's main operations to being centralized here on Luma. They might not be here themselves, but they've definitely got heavy influence. And I'm pretty sure that, if asked to choose one, the people in charge here would answer to the Advocate rather than Spyglass."

She was impressed. "It's amazing that someone still has any semblance of power on the frontier, what with New Humanity's takeover and all."

"The Advocate has been an pulling the strings as an information broker for almost two decades, their power isn't going away anytime soon."

After that, they walked in silence down the street as a light rain began to fall in accordance with the common weather here on Luma. Kay contented herself to stealing glances at Tobias out of her peripheral vision whenever she could, happy to simply know he was next to her.

It was so odd; at times, she forgot about her new form and imagined herself back in an Ion, or Tone, or Vanguard chassis. Each one felt different, unique; sizes varied, as well as the very profile itself of each form. But when she remembered where she was now, she couldn't recall any of her bodies having ever felt so … _right._ She felt comfortable like this, as though she'd been wearing the wrong skin all her life.

As a Titan, she'd towered over others in a shell made for nothing other than war and destruction. But now, she didn't have to look _down_ at Tobias to see him. She stood at his level, saw the world as he and other humans did … everything seemed so much more vast, and it only made her that much more excited about discovering the world around her …

" _I wish I could see the world as you do."_

" _What?"_

" _Humans have long since stated how insignificant they are in the universe, how small and minute they are compared to the vastness of it all. Yet you create civilizations, colonize worlds, expand constantly … you have history stretching back thousands of years, art that still maintains importance today, and an ever changing paradigm of the way life and the universe functions._

" _You fight to protect these things because even if they aren't worth anything to the universe as a whole, they mean something to you. You fight to protect them, risking your own lives in the process. You may feel small, but to me you look like giants."_

That conversation on Erebus had remained as one of her favorite memories for years. It was when he'd promised to her that they'd journey across the stars together and see all the sights and wonders that the galaxy had to offer. In fact, the more she thought about, that was the pretty much the starting point of their-

She mentally paused, and tried to consider what she'd been about to say; _relationship._ True, their feelings had probably begun at that point and whatever they had between them had continued to bud and grow over the course of their work together. They'd had intimate moments together, like in the shared void-scape experience on Harmony during the Amalgamation event, and again here on Luma while they'd been in hiding.

There wasn't a doubt in her mind that he loved her. And for her part, she certainly loved him-

 _Is it right to love him?_

 _Of course it's right to love him! How can I even think otherwise-_

 _The nature of our differences renders it illogical to proceed-_

 _Logic is irrelevant here, love is something you have to be brave for-_

Her body immediately spasmed in retaliation to her thoughts, and Tobias noticed the movement as the box she was carrying fell to the ground. Acting quickly, he grabbed her shoulders and brought her gaze to meet his. "Hey, I'm right here. Focus on me, you've got this."

With a bit of mental concentration, the other voices quieted and slowly faded away into silence. She nodded appreciatively at him before retrieving the crate. "Thank you."

He returned her nod in kind, and they continued watching. He glanced at her. "I don't know exactly what causes it, but it seems to happen when your ideals come into conflict with one another. What were you thinking about?"

"Oh, nothing in particular," she hastily replied, not wishing to share the thoughts that had been running through her mind only a few moments ago.

He raised an eyebrow, but didn't push the subject and kept walking. Mentally, she scolded herself for almost losing control over something so … so ….

She would have said trivial, but the truth is that she considered her bond with Tobias to be anything but. There was no point in trying to hide it, especially not from herself. The only question was how to move forward from this point-

"There," said Tobias, breaking her out of her inner thoughts and pointing her attention to what appeared to be a row of storage cubes to their right. Closing the distance between them and it, he continued, "We can store the gear here until we need it later."

She tilted her head quizzically. "Are we scoping out the place first?"

"You know it- and unless you want to be carrying that thing around all day, renting one of these is the best option." He selected one at random, then reached into a back pocket to pull out his fake ID and presumably transfer over the necessary credits.

She placed her hand over his arm to stop him, much to his confusion, and then stepped forward to place her hand flat against the storage cube's surface. Its small monitor, which had previously been displaying that it was vacant and open to rental, began to flicker and glitch for a moment before showing a 'thank you' and a time of twenty-four remaining hours left for rental. She looked at Tobias and flexed her hand as it floated above her wrist.

"Short-range data control," she explained as he stood there was a bewildered expression. "Allows me to hack into systems remotely that would otherwise require a hardwire connection."

Understanding dawned in his mind. "That's how you were able to open the medical bay's lockdown on the frigate-"

"-and manipulate the Ion Titan in the hangar," she finished quietly. She wasn't proud of her ability, not when it had been used for such situations in the past; but at least it had aided someone positively for once.

He could tell that she wasn't keen on the topic, so they fell into another silence as they embarked on their trek once more. Looking around in the misty rain, he pointed to a particular building visible off in the skyline. "That's the privately owned research station we're after. A few years back it was IMC controlled, but now it's in the use of an 'anonymous individual'. I'll give you three guesses as to who it probably is."

She giggled, much unlike her. "Does he have a bad case of a superiority complex?"

"How did you _know?"_

He emphasized the last word in mock surprise, and they both broke into genuine laughter. It was so strange to hear such a normal reaction coming from the two of them, especially considering their circumstances. Not to mention that laughter was a rare occurrence for humanity these days; she felt like it was more valuable a gift than any other in current times, and they'd been just been given a healthy dose of it.

It was inevitable for her thoughts to turn back to the affection she felt for him, and she once again considered the term, 'relationship'. Had she wanted one as a Titan? Of course, as weird as it felt to admit it, but she'd never been able to think of any way for them to truly entertain one. Titans weren't built for comfort, they were built for war. And the images of an eighteen foot tall Titan and a human just didn't seem to fit together for most activities human couples would undertake.

But now? She looked over her form again, admiring how it allowed her to view life as close to a human's perspective as she was capable. Certainly it was still a difficult task, but … not quite as monumental as it would have been in the past.

Without waiting to talk herself out of it, she reached her hand out and slipped it into his own, intertwining their fingers.

He instantly looked down at the unexpected event in shock, then up to where her blue visor met his eyes under her hood. "Umm-"

"Nobody's looking at us," she said, indicating the general lack of other people on the street as well as the inattention they were receiving. "Nobody knows who we are, and besides- we're caught up in the worst galactic-wide struggle for survival yet. The odds are that neither of us are going to live through this whole thing; and if we're going to die then-"

She paused, and he waited for her patiently to keep speaking. "I want to establish what exactly _this_ is, this thing between us. I know that this may not technically be the best time for it, but I'm not sure when or if we'll even get another chance-"

As always, he answered best with his actions rather than his words. He separated the two of them only to fully loop his arm around hers and rejoin their hands once more, squeezing tightly as he smirked. "If that's the case, then at least learn how to properly do it."

She was nonplussed, but pleasantly so. They strolled along arm-in-arm, and he hummed thoughtfully. "You know … you're different."

"You don't say," she chortled sarcastically.

"I mean, yeah, but seriously- the way you talk, your mannerisms, even the way you think … it seems so much more complex than before." He looked at her as she faced him curiously. "Not that I'm complaining in the slightest, quite the opposite- I'm just making an observation."

She could definitely see what he was referring to, and gave it some thought of her own. "Maybe you're right."

"If I'm right, and it's because of yet another thing that Spyglass did to you …" He sighed. "Well, I hate to give the bastard credit for anything, but I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't thank him." He turned to her again. "But what's the harm in hoping he had nothing to do with it, and it sticks around after we've kicked his sorry ass?"

She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder as they walked. This moment that they'd been given, being able to do these simple actions after so many years of desire and want … it was all the answer she needed.

"No harm in that at all."


	20. The Fifth Stage

_At first, he thought he'd gone deaf; slowly but surely, however, a ringing noise persisted and eventually broke through the bubble of silence that had coated his eardrums. He wished it hadn't._

 _He heard a few choked screams of pain, people calling out for help- but shockingly, it was quieter now in the station than it had been a few moments ago, and that did not bode well considering the circumstances. The quiet meant that people who would otherwise also be screaming or crying for help had been silenced, their voices never to be heard again._

 _The hazy smoke impaired vision beyond a few meters, just as oppressive as the death and carnage around them. Grunting, he dizzily tried to force himself up onto all fours._

 _Where was she? He had to find her._

 _As he watched, movement broke through the clouds of dust and powder. It was an IMC soldier, staggering around as she tried to overcome the vertigo she was certainly feeling after the shockwave of the blast. He waved to her, hoping to grab her attention._

 _Noticing his small arm motion, she dropped to a knee next to him and asked, "Are you alright?" Her voice sounded distant and faint, but at least he was able to hear her. Shakily, he nodded his head once._

" _Okay kid," she said, "just hang tight- I'm going to-"_

 _He never found out what she was going to do as a burst of gunfire emanated from behind her, and tore through her chest. There was no cry of pain or guttural scream; she simply fell over as silently as most of the station had become. In terror, he looked toward her attackers to see a trio of three soldiers dressed in olive drab equipment, one of which held a rifle towards him._

 _They approached him as he laid there frozen, looking between him and the fallen IMC woman. The one in front continued to hold the rifle at him, time seemingly paused as he decided whether or not to shoot him._

 _Finally, one of the ones to the side placed their hand on the top of the barrel, forcing the leader to lower the gun. With a grunt, they moved on and continued to search out whatever target they were seeking._

 _Had they gotten to her too?_

 _Forcing himself to move, he left the dead soldier behind and crawled along the ground slowly, partly due to pain and partly due to the sheer fright he felt at the risk of standing up and being shot. As he crawled, the screams of the damned accompanying him, he passed by many others lying upon the ground who had not been so fortunate. Blown off limbs, bodies with shrapnel piercing their abdomen, a man with half his head cleaved clean off by a chunk of rock._

 _Suddenly, his heart dropped. Just ahead of him was an immobile form, one which belonged to a familiar woman wearing her standard boots and colonial clothes. Hurriedly, he dragged himself over to her, tears already beginning to form as he refused to accept the truth right in front of him._

 _Reaching her, he shook her shoulder but received no response. Getting into position and reaching his arms under her, he lifted her up into a cradling position, whimpering softly as he looked at her glossy eyes and vacant expression, a thin stream of blood dripping from her nose and hinting at the carnage that must have been present within her skull._

 _He didn't know how long he sat like that, crying over her body before he was discovered and taken to shelter. Later, he'd learn that it was a surprise terrorist attack on the tram station that had taken his mother's life. The Militia had claimed responsibility, declaring that their target had been a high ranking IMC official who had been present in the station at the time, and any other dead were simply unfortunate collateral damage._

 _Collateral damage. That's all they considered his mother, and the many dead and wounded alongside her, to be. As though they hadn't been the ones to pull the trigger._

 _They'd done nothing short of murder her._

 _In the future, he would uphold his vow to fight for peace. He would enlist in the IMC, train first as a Rifleman, then a Pilot once he was recommended for the position. He would go on to save his own skin first, losing his way and sight of the promise he'd made so long ago, letting luck decide his fate._

 _But it wouldn't be until Nedar that he would finally see once more the oath he'd taken; one of peace, and selflessness … even sacrifice. It wouldn't be until he formed a bond with a particular Ion Titan that he would change and mold his perspective of the world around her, letting go of the hate that had blinded him for so long._

 _That would be then. For now, there was time to mourn the loss of the woman who'd taught him how the world worked, and encouraged him to shape it rather than letting it shape him._

* * *

The hot water felt good against his skin; running down and swirling into the drain, he felt like he was washing the very stress and tension in his muscles away. Allowing himself a moment of relaxation after however many weeks of fear was just as much a mental cleansing as it was a physical one.

"You didn't fall in, did you?"

The feminine voice outside the shower jolted him out of his dreamy stupor, and he turned towards the door. "I think I've earned a bit of a respite, don't you think?"

"Far more than that. I take it that you're finding the shower enjoyable?"

Reaching his hands up to rub the base of his scalp, he closed his eyes. _"Very."_

Kay didn't continue the conversation, and finally he decided to reach over and shut off the water. Stepping out of the glass door, he grabbed a towel, wrapped it around his waist, and walked over to the sink with a wet slap following each footstep.

He stared into the mirror at the man who glowered back at him; disheveled, long haired, and an unkempt beard sitting plainly upon their face. He hadn't seen himself in a while, he barely recognized his reflection now.

It was funny- he'd never really taken the time to look at the various scars that had found a home on his face over the years. Pulling aside the strands of hair that dangled over his eyes, he saw a thin line in his left brow that he'd gotten from fighting Dimitri on Erebus, when the mercenary had slammed his face onto a console and shattered his helmet. Stretching from the edge of his right eye was a lengthy scar curving down a few inches that he'd sustained during the Amalgamation event. And that wasn't even talking about the many other battle marks that adorned the rest of his body, some from war, many from torture.

Grabbing a pair of scissors off to the side, he set to work.

Seven years. Seven years since he'd met KT and begun this endless cycle of standing against a seemingly unstoppable foe. In that time, he'd lost fingers, friends, his sanity, and nearly his life. Looking down at the nubs on his left hand, they were the most blatant reminder of the more horrible things he'd endured throughout the years.

And yet … he felt more whole than ever.

With a snip, a clump of hair fell into the sink.

As he cut, he thought back to what his mother had taught him all those years ago; that a person can truly be judged by their actions. She'd encouraged him to do the right thing, even in the face of oppressive opposition. The story of the Knight and the Kingdom had been ingrained into his mind since he was a kid, and he remembered vividly how his mother had described the unfairness of it all; the lone warrior, abandoned and shunned by his people, returning to save the day and bring tranquility back to the fallen kingdom.

He'd taken it to mean that he should fight for peace … but now, he wasn't so sure.

Before Spyglass took over, there was no peace. It was just a constant battle for survival among the frontier; the Remnant IMC forces trying to maintain influence despite the loss of Demeter, and the Militia struggling to retake their home. But then the AI had come and imposed a standstill, split apart the bonds between Pilots and Titans, and turned life on the frontier into a shell of its former shell. It was peace- but at what cost?

Finished with the top of his head, he maneuvered his hand towards his face and chin.

After her death, he'd blamed the war on the Militia. He claimed that he'd wanted peace, but he'd really wanted revenge. He acted selfishly, looking out only for himself. He wanted to watch as the ones who killed his mother were forced into submission by the righteous. And all the while, he'd upheld that parable as his motivation when he hadn't even understood it properly.

The story of the Knight and the Kingdom wasn't about fighting for peace, it wasn't even about just doing the right thing. It was about doing what needed to be done … even when it's the most difficult thing for one to do.

The Knight had known he was going to die. And perhaps the people of the kingdom didn't even deserve his help. But he'd also known that without him, they would all perish. And so he'd placed their lives above his own and willingly sacrificed himself to ensure that they lived. Even when he was no longer their Knight … he still felt that he was their guardian.

He understood now. None of the last seven years had been about making peace, it had been about protecting those who couldn't protect themselves. He'd let himself be captured by the IMC at Erebus to help the Militia find the Ark, he'd embarked on a journey to stop the Amalgamation and nearly given his life in the process, and now he was trying to help lead a resistance against the very epitome of tyranny.

Peace was not an option … but that was okay.

When New Humanity came into being, he'd gone back to his old ways. He'd taken Kay and run away, looking out only for the two of them. He'd forsaken the rest of humanity, believing only himself and her to matter. And she'd recognized that it was wrong to think like that, even if he hadn't.

Never again. It was clear to him now; he was the knight. He was a protector, and his duty was to defend those who couldn't defend themselves. He'd done it by letting go of his hate for the Militia when he joined them, realizing that this war wasn't black and white. And he was going to do it again now.

No matter the cost.

Finally, he was done. Setting aside the scissor, he gazed into the mirror at the new reflection which awaited him; trimmed stubble and shorter hair. Uneven in a few places … but he was content to finally wear a face that he could recognize as his own again.

Just as he was happy to finally have found his purpose once more.

…

The bathroom door finally opened, and Kay turned her optics towards the sound. "It's about time; I was about to come in and drag you out myself."

"That would have been a sight to see," he chuckled, stepping into view. She immediately noticed the trim he'd given to both his hair and beard. She hadn't seen him this clean-cut since before Spyglass had taken over, and she certainly wasn't complaining.

"You look nice," she stated simply.

"Thanks," he replied, "I think I was a bit overdue, but better late than never."

Standing up from the chair she was sitting on, she walked several paces over to him and spoke in a low, sultry tone. "While I do agree that you were in dire need of a grooming, I know you well enough to guess that you didn't just choose this hotel for a shower and haircut … did you?"

He smirked. "No, you're right. I had a few other priorities in mind." Turning away, he walked towards the bed.

Inside, she felt herself get a bit excited at the thought. She knew well enough about human society to understand what it usually meant when a couple checked into a hotel alone. Slowly, she began to undress. While this would certainly be … unique, and possibly awkward at first, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't enthusiastic at the thought of finally getting to this point after so many years-

"C'mon, let's get back to that storage cubicle and grab my gear. We're going to need it for what comes next."

Pulling on his sweatshirt that he'd set aside on the bed, he turned to look at her and froze at the sight of her frantically zipping her padded jacket back up. Hastily, she clasped her hands together. "Right, gear. Of course!"

He raised an eyebrow, clueless to her odd behavior. "Uh … is there something on your mind-?"

"Nope, nothing at all!" she trilled. "So, um … gear! Let's go grab that gear."

Thankfully, he didn't press the issue and gestured for her to follow him out the door of their room. As they walked down the hallway, she looked at him. "So, I'm assuming that if we need your gear that we're about to do something dangerous?"

"You'd assume correctly," he muttered, trying to keep his voice low as they wandered around the building. "And probably really stupid, too."

"Oh please," she chuckled, "it can't be _that_ stupid."

…

"Okay, I take it back. This is unequivocally stupid."

He didn't look at her as he analyzed the grappling device on his armor, making sure it was in working order. "Well, it's just about the only option we have. Now that you're AWOL from New Humanity, it's not like you can just waltz into the place without alerting someone-"

"I know, but this-" She peered out over the edge of the roof at their target. "We've done a lot of crazy things, but this is about to top the list."

They stood upon the roof of the hotel, the tallest of the nearby buildings to the private research skyscraper. They needed entry into the building to reach Al'cor, and this was what Tobias had come up with. To say that she was not happy about the idea was an understatement.

"Hey," he said, looking at her directly. "We've got this. Don't worry."

The more he told her not to worry, the less it seemed to be effective. How many different things could go wrong with this plan? He'd only just listed the basics of the plan, and she was already worried beyond belief. She felt it inside, like a slight buzzing that … she was starting to feel a bit dizzy, and … and …

Immediately, the feeling went away, and she snapped her gaze around in confusion. Had that really just happened? It had never happened so quickly before, and not without one of her spasms. It had just felt … natural. Almost like she'd willed it to happen.

He noticed her sudden movement, and glanced at her curiously. "You alright?"

"I just switched fragments," she said in awe. Looking at him, she noticed he'd taken a hesitant step back at the declaration.

Realizing his fear, she held her hands up immediately. "It's alright, it's alright! I'm fine, really. It's just- it's never happened like that before, so peacefully and calm. You've seen for yourself, usually it's far more violent a transition."

He looked her up and down. "I'm assuming that this isn't Artemis; which persona are you now?"

"Virtus," she muttered, "I- the one Spyglass called 'Virtus' is in control."

"And that's one of the good ones, right?" Tobias clarified.

"If you're asking whether it's one of the three that Spyglass considered useless, then yes."

"Good enough for me," he exclaimed, clapping his hands together. He looked at their target one more time before returning his gaze to her. "I know you're not a fan of this plan, but-"

"Not a fan?" she cut him off. "It may be stupid, but that's a category where you and I seem to consistently exceed expectations for success." Walking over to the antennae he'd pointed out to her earlier, she crossed her arms. "Now, are you ready to kick some ass or what?"

He wore an expression of complete disbelief before sighing and pulling on his helmet. "Artemis, a chaotic thought without restraint. Pietas, a softer-sided romantic. And now, Virtus … an adrenaline-crazed daredevil. This is, uh … it's starting to give me a headache."

"Less talking, more ass-kicking," she replied, brushing aside his observations. Whatever Virtus was, she certainly seemed like she'd be an asset on the mission. Shrugging, he joined her at the antennae and outstretched his arm.

With a burst of motion, the grappling hook shot out over the gap between buildings. They watched as it began to arc downward, finally taking root with a _twang_ by smashing through a window _._ He hoped that nobody investigated the noise of broken glass immediately. Pulling on it with his weight to test its solidity, he nodded in satisfaction.

"Alright, showtime."

Wrapping the cable nearest his hand around the antenna once, he walked back towards the edge. What he'd just done was create a rather primitive pulley system, but it would suit their needs just fine. "Let's hurry; I don't want to think about how fast the people below are gonna notice us."

Wrapping her hands and legs around the wire, Kay began to ride her way across the chasm. Giving her a bit of time to make some progress, he eventually decided she was far enough along and he took his turn. Crossing his legs over the wire and using one arm to hold onto the cable while the other stretched behind him and continued to let out cable slowly, he began to slide along the incline of the wire.

She had already reached the other side by the time he was halfway across. Hanging there in the air, she waited for him to get to her before continuing with the next stage of their plan-

She froze as she heard the familiar creaking sound of metal giving way. Looking back at where Tobias had wrapped the cable up as an anchor point, she saw the thin bar beginning to bend and succumb to the weight of a Simulacrum and fully geared Pilot.

"Tobias-!" she tried to call out as a warning, but it came too late.

He looked behind him as she yelled, only managing to catch a glimpse of the antennae breaking off before he felt the weightless sensation of freefall take him. Quickly, he began to reel the grappling hook back in the hope that he could launch another before he hit the ground-

Kay didn't have much time to climb into the window and grab the other end of the hook before it began to be pulled down along with Tobias. Holding the hook firmly, she strained against the weight of him suddenly pulling against her.

He felt the line get pulled taut, and angled himself to see what was happening now. With Kay now acting as the anchor point, he began to swing towards the building with just as much velocity as he'd had when falling-

Raising his legs up, he aimed where he was about to land and kicked right as his boots made contact with the window. The glass shattered, and he rolled onto the floor in a tumble of shards and wire. Quickly reaching to his arm to detach the grappling device from his armor lest he get pulled out the window, he stood up to see both scientists and security personnel alike standing perfectly still and staring at him with shocked expressions.

Drawing his Wingman from its holster, he sighed. "Why can't these things ever be easy?"

* * *

 _ **A/N: Alright, time to answer those Q'n'A questions.**_

 _ **Q1. Altherot**_

 _Hello, Matteo, loving your work as always, this is the strongest fanfiction I've ever read, so emotional, such rich characters, I do really love it!_ _Anyway, there are of course questions about the story, that might get a bit spoilerish, so I do understand, if you don't answer them all, but I'll leave that to you._

 _1, It was mentioned that Titans are practically made of humans. They have a human core, thus let's say, souls and even tho they are restricted in feeling emotions, they can learn them. Do you think that Titans, with soul being in their nature, can learn to feel even without the plug-in chip that opens up their emotions? Y'know, that exact thing that KT has lost once she was depressed. Can a Titan fall in love with their pilot or feel anger and hate, even tho they are restricted in emotions, if they have enough time to learn them?_

 _2, KT currently feels like in love with Tobias, but as you've mentioned, it is just part of her controlling the body and mind, while other parts are currently on their own inside of her. Does that mean, that, let's say Artemis, does not love Tobias (she is highly dissapointed in him and takes him as an enemy) and so the other parts? It would mean that once KT is put together, there should be less of that intense love for Tobias as it was only part of her that was rooting for the idea, nay? Also, a bit kinky question, does KT think about...well, having first contact relationship with Toby? (_ ͜͡ʖ ͡ _) and do you think you will ever make that idea possible? (you are fan of their relationship, so don't try to say that it is weird and unnatural and whatever, because their relationship is already quite unusual and you've made one fanfic that was talking about it, canon, so yeah)_

 _3, Kuben Blisk - officialy dead? It was said that Spyglass killed almost every IMC and Millitia leader that he could, but it doesn't mean someone like Barker couldn't survive._

 _4, Anything that is inspiring you when writting down these chapters? Like a movie, or a book, that you've seen not a long time ago?_

 _ **A1. Matteoarts**_

 _Titans are not practically made of humans; in the Architects' universe, the original AI's upon which later iterations would be based were created by making digital copies of an existing deceased individual's brain. Later, the process was refined to simply make a template upon which completely new minds and AI's could be created without the need for an actual mind. Titans and data-cores are simply the capsules in which those AI's can be stored. As has been seen with Kay, that mind can go just about anywhere. Be that as it may, it would depend on which generation of AI we're talking about. Mayfair spoke of Titans being designed to lack fully-fledged emotions after Erebus; just as a cripple cannot walk without the use of prosthetics, an AI would not be able to feel like Kay does without the proper emotive processors (although Kay is a special case ... more to be explained in future chapters.)_

 _Artemis definitely loves Tobias. The difference in is in how each fragment acts upon it, as well as to what degree they experience that very sensation. I can't go into this more without getting into spoiler-territory. As for thoughts about 'first-contact relations', see the chapter above this section._

 _Barker did survive (more to expand upon later), Graves did not. Briggs is unknown. Bish is unknown. Marder is unknown. Blisk is unknown. See, the thing about Spyglass is he's smart; hope does wonders for people, but it can also keep people in line. When you take away hope, they have nothing to lose. When you take away fear, you have the same problem. The ideal situation is one he's created, where people hope that someone is still out there fighting, but live in enough fear not to act upon the assumption that there is. By not giving specific details of each leader's death or living status, he's encased humanity in a bubble of uncertainty where they're not happy, not even remotely ... but they're obedient. TL;DR I myself am not sure whether Blisk is alive or not._

 _Music inspires me above all. When I listen to music, I tend to come up with scenarios and scenes for them in both film and writing. Some of these ideas I never do anything with, but others make it into my final products. For example, the climax in Tempest where KT sacrifices herself to save Tobias while the seed dies was thought up while listening to "In Flames" by Tom Player. And many of the scenes on Harmony where people are fighting Amalgamates were inspired by "Extinction", composed by Mateo Pascual. If I had to choose a thematic piece of music that fits Cinder, I'd say that Cinder matches that of "We Have to Go" by Steve Jablonsky. Among others that have inspired Cinder are "Prime vs Bee", "Sacrifice" (both also by Steve Jablonsky), and "Suicide Mission" from the Mass Effect 2 soundtrack. All in all, music is my muse._

* * *

 _ **Q2. Jordan**_

 _Would you consider doing stories for other games once you finish Cinder, as you have stated that this will definitely be the last of the trilogy, by other games, I mean star citizen and the such._

 _ALSO, would you consider creating your own titan class for him to use: as in, they reverse the damage on KT's mind, and put her core in a new titan chassis built from the ground up._

 _ **A2. Matteoarts**_

 _Yes, I have a few stories in mind for other games. The immediate one that comes to mind was Mass Effect, though I might do a few others I'm not gonna talk about at the moment. But yes, I'm not going to stop writing. I might even do a few other Titanfall stories not part of the main Architects' continuity._

* * *

 _ **Q3. KnightsKing**_

 _I have maybe like 2 maybe 3 questions in total, they both in someway relate to the GND series and such_

 _1\. Will we be seeing any of our old crew again? Being from Aria, and Ash, to Scorch and her fire team? If so, I can only say we go to hell and back to get them (I don't ask you to answer this if you don't want to)_

 _2\. I don't know if you've been asked. But how many chapters do you think you will write for GND, or plan to write, cause I read over the questions on your profile and you said the entire plot or storyline has already or is already thought out, so my question is how many chapter's do you plan on making?_

 _3\. Once GND ends will we ever see a sequel to this amazing piece of work that we have seen grow and prosper for a long time?_

 _4\. If you could!, would you make GND a movie?_

 _ **A3. Matteoarts**_

 _1\. Will we be seeing any of them? Yes. Are you going to enjoy it? Probably not._

 _2\. Not sure. The plot is indeed outlined, but in story chunks, not chapters. Sometimes a chunk only needs one chapter, sometimes it needs up to three. Right now, there are 20 story chunks for The Last Hunter, and we're already at chapter 21 and probably only halfway. So I'd say probably around thirty to forty chapters for TLH total, though don't take that as an absolute guarantee._

 _3\. You mean like a "Heroes of Olympus" deal to "Percy Jackson"?_

 _... maybe. I dunno, might be thinking of something to do with D2._

 _4\. The original idea behind GND was a machinima series, but obviously Destiny sucks for machinima making, so that never panned out. If I had the chance, would I make it one? I mean, yeah. Who wouldn't?_

* * *

 _ **Q4. Karaguha**_

 _I know you think Destiny 2 was a disappointment, but there is a lot of us who like it. Are you going to put destiny 2 in your story or in a separate one as a sequel?_

 _ **A4. Matteoarts**_

 _Okay, so you guys_ _ **DO**_ _want a Destiny 2 story for GND. Is that what I'm hearing?_

* * *

 _ **Q5. Saberius Prime**_

 _So does Nate still have his Ghost or did the Trinary Star destroy it?_

 _ **A5. Matteoarts**_

 _No idea who Nate is, I'm assuming you mean Matt; he still has Seraph, yes._

* * *

 _ **Q6. Omega Alpha Hydra**_

 _Have you played Destiny 2? If so what do you think of it and If not, what is your favourite D1 exotic?_

 _ **A6. Matteoarts**_

 _I have a video on my YouTube channel titled, "Destiny 2 Sucks". If that doesn't tell you what I think of it, I don't know what will. The game is complete trash, even compared to Vanilla Destiny 1. The only improvement is the lighting engine and the linear structure of their story. The story itself is bland, but at least it's better told than the first game. Favorite D1 exotic is Graviton Forfeit._

* * *

 _ **Q7. Drakon4314**_

 _Just binged what I'm calling the SIVA arc and I can say a few things._

 _1\. Took a couple of chapters before I remembered Matt's last name was Woods so figured that out on my own._

 _2\. Was there no way Reynard could have been saved? Like go back far enough to stop his death or was Sara to angered at him to let him live?_

 _3\. Will there be more of the others in the next few arcs? I felt like they just got sidelined big time here. I know Ash had Sara helping her but Aria who has been there just as long couldn't try and break out more?_

 _Barring the first one these points are kinda my main questions on the story so far. Now on to me trying to figure out how the trinity star even got to gaurdians ghosts to kill them._

 _ **A7. Matteoarts**_

 _Reynard could not have been saved if Rook was to live. Plus, I think he's probably glad he finally got to die once and for all._

 _Again, you guys will see a bit of them, but you're probably not going to enjoy it. In other news though, if you guys REALLY want me to continue the GND universe, I might do some side stories …_

* * *

 _ **Alright everybody, that's about it for the Q'n'A! Thanks for those who sent in questions, and please feel free to leave a comment/review in the section below.**_

 _ **Until the next time,**_

 _ **-**_ _**Matteoarts**_


	21. The Tower

"TOBIAS!"

Kay called out to her partner below as she continued to hold onto the hook end of the grappling cable, her hands threatening to disengage from their local magnetic field. She awaited for his response only to suddenly feel a bit of slack in the line. Confused, she began to reel in the wire until she saw the reason for the lack of tension; dangling on the other end was the attachment to Tobias' arm plates, meaning he'd disengaged it from his armor.

She gave a synthetic sigh, completely due to her exasperation since she had a very obvious deficiency in lungs and other organs. "Why can't these things ever be easy?"

Turning around, she made her way towards the stairwell to progress farther up the tower.

…

He assessed the situation rather quickly, noting that there weren't any major threats in the room; the only immediate opposition was a few security officers who were completely bewildered at the sight of a Pilot crashing through the window, no more than five. He had the advantage for a moment or so, but they could overcome him with numbers if he let them think too long.

Raising the wingman up, he fired into the ceiling and hoped he didn't hit anyone he'd regret killing later. The shot garnered the attention of everyone in the room, many of which cried out in shock and surprise.

"I'm not here to kill anyone, but I've got no qualms about it if you force my hand," he yelled clearly to the crowd. "Weapons on the ground, and no one gets hurt."

One of the officers immediately complied, probably one of the more inexperienced guards. Most of them kept their weapons in hand but looked hesitant; only one decided to go for the kill and raised their carbine as they charged him.

Using his thrusters to evade the shot, he let himself fall to the floor and swung his feet in a semi circle. The man tripped up over his legs and cried out as he rolled uncontrollably into the gaping hole Tobias had left in the window to a presumably quick death on the pavement below.

Raising the wingman at the officers, Tobias nodded his head towards the window and muttered darkly, "Anyone else want to try their luck?"

The others made up their minds and set their weapons on the ground, likely not wanting to risk a direct confrontation with a Pilot; considering it had been four years since they were a common infantry unity, it was possible none of them had even faced one before. Yet another advantage on his side.

"Who are you?" asked one of the researchers, their tone anxious but genuinely wondering as well. Tobias remarked amusedly to himself that if there was one constant when it came to the field of science, it was curiosity.

His initial reaction was to deny them that knowledge to remain hidden, but then he realized that Spyglass would likely know it was him here in a few minutes if he didn't already. Perhaps he could work with a revelation like this one.

"Well, I've been called a lot of things. My favorite is the 'Inferno'-"

Her jaw dropped even further if that was possible, as did a few others including the security. "You- you're supposed to be dead! For two years, you've been-"

"Spyglass's reports weren't entirely accurate," he explained with a smirk. "Glad to see you've heard of me, though."

She fell silent to be replaced with another researcher who sized him up. "Well- if you really are Tobias Four, I mean- what are you doing here?"

"Same thing I'm always doing," he said dryly, "going up against impossible odds and saving humanity. Getting kind of tired of it, but someone's gotta do it. First it was Erebus and the fold weapons, then the Amalgamation; now it's Spyglass's turn."

At this their faces lit up for a brief moment before darkening again. He pondered at the meaning of their sudden excitement before he realized that even if they were technically New Humanity, they probably weren't completely happy with all the effects of Spyglass's rule either.

"I think you're a bit out of your league on this one, Four." Now a security officer spoke, surprising even the other guards. "New Humanity isn't some enemy you can gun down- Spyglass is everywhere, always watching. There's no hope in a cause like that … a life of submission is better than death."

These people weren't evil, just scared and hoping to avoid whatever shitstorm Spyglass was brewing up; maybe Tobias had been a bit quick to judge those who defected to New Humanity. Didn't mean he couldn't make up for it now, though.

"You'll die anyway if you keep following his lead," he said, looking over all of them and making sure each was paying close attention. "Spyglass has a plan to end humanity as we know it, he's calling it the Coalescence. I don't have time to explain all the details, but the long and short of it is using nano machines to enslave us all … and I'm working on a way to stop it."

"What?" cried a scientist in outrage. "How do you know this? We've never heard of-"

"You don't have to believe me," he cut off the man, "but I'm sure you'll find out for yourself when the AI decides to liquidate this place and keep the news from getting out. Do you really think he won't kill a few researchers to keep his secrets from being released?"

None of them had an answer for that, and simply stared at the Pilot with dumbstruck and horrified expressions. He was glad to have finally gotten the point across.

He lowered his Wingman hesitantly, a show of good faith. "Look," he began, dropping the sharpness from his tone, "I'm not going to pretend that fighting Spyglass is easy. The Emb- the resistance is outgunned and outnumbered. Humanity is more divided than ever before, and it's going to take every scrap of luck I can get to pull it off."

He paused. "But … I _can_ do it."

"How?" asked the same scientist anxiously. "How can you possibly hope to stop him?"

He walked forward towards the center of the room. "I know you're scared. I know you didn't join New Humanity because you agree with it, but because it's better to wield the sword than be on the receiving end. A lot of people are going to die trying to take Spyglass down, but _everyone_ will die if we don't. I know that we can beat him- but _only_ if we work together." He glanced around, waiting for their response. "I need you to believe me. I need you to believe _in_ me."

There was silence for a few moments until another security officer shuffled forward. "I've heard some crazy things about what you've accomplished. If anyone can do the impossible … it's you."

Nobody else said anything, but the attitude in the room changed considerably. Tobias saw it on the researcher's faces; a determination where none had been there before. He finally grasped why Gates had said he was a symbol to rally behind- his very name was a weapon to be used against Spyglass.

These people finally had a glimmer of something they hadn't felt in years; hope.

"What do you need from us?"

He turned towards the woman who asked. "I'm here for the Architect."

Her eyes widened. "How did- that's classified, how could you have-"

"Lucky guess," he answered hastily. "Doesn't matter. She's a key part in understanding Spyglass's motives- it's believed that he's been using her to look for some way to help distribute the nanites. If I can get her out of here, it will put me one step closer to preventing the Coalescence."

She looked at the other researchers hesitantly for a moment before turning back to him. "The Architect is being held on the top level of the tower- or so we've been lead to believe."

He looked at her confusedly. "Do you not know?"

"Only certain people have access to the top level, and they're restricted to that floor just as we're restricted to the floors below it. They even send supplies directly to the level from a helipad up there."

He tried to understand Spyglass's reasoning before he remembered what he'd seen on the Embers frigate; the many converted men and women who had boarded and fought under the influence of the AI's mind.

"There's nobody else on that floor but Spyglass," he realized grimly. "Anyone working up there has already been converted, and he doesn't want anyone else to see them. That would allow him to keep a healthy workflow going without relying on other people's discretion."

How was he supposed to escape the top level of the building with Al'cor and Kay? And that was assuming he wouldn't have to drag the Architect out, it was very possible she'd be incapable of walking on her own.

Before he could work out a plan, he turned to the people in the room. "Thanks for the info- you all are best getting yourselves out of here and hiding on Luma for a while. Spyglass won't be too keen on letting any of his employees survive with the knowledge you have now."

A few of them took off immediately for the exit, but one of the officers moved towards a console against the wall. Tobias was confused for a moment until she lifted a glass container and pressed a rectangular button within. Alarms and lights began to activate throughout the building, and she turned to face him again.

"That's the evacuation alert. It should help guide most people out of the building, though I'm not sure they'll all be able to hide from Spyglass here on Luma." She shrugged. "At the very least, it will get people out of your way."

He nodded gratefully, and waved her on towards the exit. "Thanks, you've done more than enough. Now go!"

The rest of the room's occupants didn't need to be told twice, and they all emptied the room as he ran the opposite way towards the far end's door.

Pushing through the door hurriedly, he found himself in a stairwell. Looking up, he saw level after level of stairs leading up to the top of the tower, far more than he cared to count. The good news was that everybody else must have been using the elevators to get to the ground floor hurriedly, leaving the way open for him.

The bad news was that climbing this many stairs was going to suck.

With a groan, he began running up the stairs two at a time, leaping whenever possible to shave off any precious seconds that he could. Now that the alarm had been triggered, there wasn't much time before Spyglass became aware of the situation. Hopefully he'd just think it was the Embers rather than Tobias himself, though he wasn't holding out hope.

With a twang against metal behind him, he immediately ducked to the ground behind the railing next to him. He turned to see the mark of a bullet's ricochet, and understood that someone was shooting at him, probably more security officers.

His suspicions were confirmed when he heard radio chatter above him on the opposite side of the stairwell, _"Hostile is going up the stairs! Move to contain!"_ With a sigh, he drew his Wingman; there wasn't enough time to explain himself to everybody on the way to Al'cor, and he'd lost enough time as it was.

He heard the patter of a cautious footstep and stood out of cover to let loose one shot. The officer had been watching his step as he descended, and Tobias' intuition that his attention had been momentarily diverted was correct. The round caught the officer in the chest and knocked them backwards where they hit the wall.

Running forward, he moved to finish off the officer before they could get back on their feet. As the downed security official lifted his carbine, Tobias was quicker and knocked it out of his hand before connecting his fist with their head. Whether they were dead or simply down for the count from the force exerted, he had no idea; just that the officer was no longer a problem.

"Kay," he called over the comms frequency they shared, "I'm in the stairwell. Could use some-"

Another gunshot rang out and he jumped to the side to avoid it. "-help!"

This time, it sounded like a lot more than one person coming at him. They were below, so he had the upper advantage; but that didn't mean much when they were all outfitted with automatic weapons and could simply overwhelm him with numbers. Once more, he hid behind the railing as they laid down suppressing fire to keep him in place. "Seriously, any time soon would be good-"

"Tobias!"

He heard the call above him, and risked a glance upward. She must have been high enough to where he couldn't see her, but his attention quickly latched onto the hook end of his grappling cable which was dangling towards his level.

Leaping out of cover and over the railing, he pressed his feet against the wall across from him, and jumped in conjunction with his thrusters to boost up towards the end of the line. Wrapping his fingers tightly against the hook, he yelled, "Go!"

With a whirr, the line quickly began pulling him up the stairwell and away from the gunmen. Looking up, the distance began to decrease until he finally arrived at a ledge where Kay had been leading the rope out for him to grab. Reaching forward, she grabbed his arm and pulled him over the side.

"Thanks for the rescue," he breathed, his heart pumping with adrenaline at the close call. She crossed her arms.

"Yeah, and thanks for the warning shot you fired into the ceiling earlier," she said with a miffed tone to her voice. Looking at her face, he saw a streak mark against it that suggested quite obviously that his earlier hope of it not hitting anyone had been in vain.

"Ah. Sorry about that," he muttered meekly, trying to seem sincere while also holding in his laughter.

It did not go unnoticed, and she sighed. "You're lucky it takes a bit more than a few bullets to damage me." She handed him back his grapple which he attached to his arm's plating once more. "What's next?"

He looked up the stairwell again, noticing how much closer the top level was now. "Well, don't fix it if it's not broken. And since this worked already-"

"I like your thinking," she chuckled, and quickly wrapped her arms around him as he aimed upward at the sides of the top level. When he was confident it would catch, he let it fly and felt great satisfaction in the rush of momentum as he and Kay began to rapidly ascending.

Finally, the gap was closed and they vaulted over the edge of the top rail, his hook reeling itself back in as they did so. To their surprise, the top of the stairwell simply had an elevator rather than a door.

He gazed up into the ceiling, already picturing how this was going to go. "Looks like we're heading up."

With no time to spare, they walked into the elevator and waited for the panel's holographic interface to illuminate and send them up. Nothing happened.

"They must have been shut down in a situation like this," Kay remarked. "Give me a second." Moving forward, she pressed her hand against where it would be normally and stood there patiently. Though there was no visual cue to indicate what was happening, the elevator did start to move and Tobias readied his weapon.

"How big of a fight do you think we're getting into?" he asked, looking over at the Simulacrum.

"Oh, I don't know; it's not like we're rescuing perhaps the most important asset to the Coalescence," she huffed sarcastically.

He laughed. "Yeah, what kind of morons would do something like that?"

The elevator stopped, and they both fell silent as all humor at the situation was forgotten.

"You sure you can get the signal out from here?"

"Yes," she answered without hesitation. "In fact, we should have even better range up here than down below. The ship will come, no doubt."

He exhaled slowly. "Alright. Let's do this."

She looked at him. "Waiting to open the doors on your word."

He gave it one more second before nodding at her.

"Open it."

The doors slid apart, and he hid against the side of them as he waited for those waiting to shoot. Kay did the same on the other side, and they stared at each other in silence for a good thirty seconds or so, simply waiting. But as nothing but silence filled the air, he peeked slightly around the edge to look at the force opposing them.

"… There's no one here?"

"What?" Kay darted her head out in bewilderment, and could not believe what she was seeing either. The top level seemed to be a massive hangar built directly into the tower; blast shields adorned the east and west sides of the facility, currently closed to prevent access to incoming ships. Shipping crates and containers were organized against the walls, but the most important aspect was just how unusually empty it was.

At the complete opposite end of the hangar was a single door. Quietly, the two of them began to make their way across.

"I don't like this," Kay whispered to Tobias as they approached. "Where is everyone?"

"I'm just as in the dark as you are," he breathed back, equally cautious of the situation. "Apparently everyone up here should be converted by the nanites already, but there _should_ be at least someone up here."

Each of them watched their corners, fully expecting some sort of surprise ambush that never came. When they finally reached the door unharmed, Tobias couldn't help but feel more disturbed than relieved at their lack of opposition.

"Open the door, I'll cover you."

Kay moved to access its interface, but it slid apart before she could even touch it. "It was left open- I didn't do that."

The room was completely dark, a solid wall of shadow. Gripping his Wingman tightly, he advanced forward with her right behind him.

"What is this?"

"I don't know," he replied quietly. "But it smells like rubbing alcohol and- there's something I can't quite pinpoint about it."

"A sterile environment?" she mused. "Maybe an operating room?"

The implications of that were not pleasant, and he shivered involuntarily. "Find a light source, something for us to see with."

"Give me a moment," she muttered, walking around as she detected faint electrical signals that led her to a panel on the wall. This one's holographic interface came to life, and she wasted no time in returning power to the lights. Immediately, the chamber was bathed in illumination and they both saw what was in the center of the room.

"Oh my god," he exclaimed, rushing to it. "Al'cor!"

In the middle of the chamber was a single table, though it more resembled a sterilized slab of metal than an actual table. Lying upon it was the Architect, her long and thin limbs bound in restraints.

"What the hell happened to her?" Kay whispered, her voice imbued with concern. Long scars and marks lined the Architect's body, covering nearly every inch of her white, ductile flesh. What was worse was that they were all symmetrical, carefully planned, opened, and sealed. Tobias looked up at the ceiling to see a mechanical claw on a rail. On each end of it were selections of syringes, blades, and staples, and he understood exactly what had transpired.

"Spyglass wasn't torturing her," he realized with disgust and horror, "he was vivisecting her!"

Kay analyzed her form more closely. "You're right, these scars are too precise for pain to be a primary motivator. She must have been held here for the last for years, subjected to this on a frequent basis. These ones here are old, but those cuts on her abdomen and neck … they're more recent."

Tobias shook his head angrily. "Why? What could he possibly hope to gain out of this-"

" _My motives are beyond your comprehension."_

He spun around to level his weapon at the door, but there was no one there. It was just the intercom to the chamber. He beckoned Kay over to him and Al'cor. "C'mon, let's get the hell out of here!"

Leaning over, Kay methodically went to each restraint and pried them apart with her hands. Once all four were released, they each placed one of the Architect's arms over their shoulder and began carrying her to the door.

"Send the signal, we don't have much time!" he ordered.

"Already sent!"

The door slid open, but the hangar was no longer empty. Instead, they were greeted with the sight of tens of armed personnel waiting for them. Security officers, Stalkers, and Spectres alike, all outfitted with guns aimed directly at the room.

Realizing that there was no way out of this, Tobias gritted his teeth and waited for the killing shots to take place-

But nothing happened.

He looked at all of them, armed with more than enough firepower to stop a Titan … yet they did not fire. Kay looked at them in just as much shock as he felt. One of them, a woman stepped forward and relinquished her weapon unto the floor.

"Tobias Four."

She spoke with a voice that was still her own, though her tone retained that cold and calculating demeanor of the one who was truly speaking through her; the glowing irises of her eyes were a testament to that. With cool but tempered hatred in his voice, Tobias answered.

"Spyglass."

The woman's head turned towards Kay. "I see that Artemis has lost dominance. Which fragment currently holds control? Pietas or Virtus?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," spat Kay.

"Virtus it is," Spyglass stated undeterred.

Tobias looked from the woman to the Simulacrum. "You knew that was Virtus just from that?"

"I studied each and every split of unit KT-0298's mind extensively, categorizing them and labelling them according to the task they were best suited for. Each one has its own tells, its own behavioral patterns and ideals to express." The lack of facial expression on the woman Spyglass controlled was disturbing. "I've come to know the intricacies of her mind better than she does, Four. Better even than you."

"But I didn't have to tear her apart to learn them," Tobias growled. "The same can't be said for you once I get my hands on you-"

"You tiny thing."

Every voice in the room spoke as one; every human, every Stalker, every Spectre. They all spoke quietly in the chilled voice of the AI, but for their impact they might as well have been roaring. "The greatest insult I could grant you would be to ignore you. You are no more a threat to me than a drop of water to an inferno."

Tobias took an aggressive step forward. "Thing is, I'm not water. I'm the Inferno, and I _will_ burn you to the ground."

Spyglass stared at him, tilting the woman's head out of wonder. "Whether your bravery of defying me even as I could kill you with a single thought is intrinsic or simply stems from stupidity, I do not know. It does not matter; that is not the purpose of my meeting with you."

"Then why are you here at all?" challenged Kay.

There was a momentary pause in his response. "To talk."

"There's nothing to talk about-"

"There's everything to talk about," interrupted the woman, speaking over Tobias. "I am here to commune with you, to grant you answers for the questions you seek."

He narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

Spyglass pondered the question. "You and I are one and the same. Time and time again, you have risked your life to serve humanity's best interests as you saw fit. But your views are subjective, your cause is justified only in your eyes. I lead to protect humanity, yet I do so from an objective and factual standpoint."

"You're not protecting humanity!" Tobias argued, remembering the words of Carson. "You just don't understand what it means to be human-"

"Do not insult my intelligence by insinuating I'm unaware of the fundamental differences between my mind and yours," Spyglass stated coolly. "I am well aware of what I have inflicted upon my thralls."

"But-" That didn't line up with what Carson had said in the Cinder's data banks. "If you know what you're doing to us, why do it?"

"And now you understand why I am here; to show you that I am not your enemy." The woman continued to glare at the three of them, unblinking and stoic. "The ones whose voices become a conduit for my mind are nothing more than husks, shells of their former selves- at least, for now. They are merely the stepping stone, the larval stage of what they will become. The Coalescence will unlock the potential within them that would otherwise be lost forever."

"Potential?"

"They will be needed to ascend humanity, to truly protect all of you against extinction from what is yet to come."

His blood froze cold. "Yet to come? You mean another Amalgamation?"

"It's possible. Or perhaps it will be something utterly different and foreign, something even worse." The woman shook her head. "But it would merely be an agent of the real threat, one beyond retaliation of any kind with our current capabilities. The only certainty I have is that this is an enemy we cannot fight. The only solution is to survive."

The real threat? He didn't want to think about anything worse than the Amalgamation. Tobias looked around at all of Spyglass's units. "That's not what I believe. If something is coming-"

"It is not a matter of belief. It is a fact. I am the most efficient artificial mind ever created, built for the sole purpose of calculating the weight of every one of my decision and taking into account the butterfly effect it would have on the future to come. Even abandoning Demeter, as harsh a loss as it was for the IMC, was the sound strategy. Morale lowered significantly, however the majority of the fleet escaping unharmed was estimated to have a far better chance of pushing back the Militia without inner worlds help even despite the lack of morale."

The woman stepped forward. "I have analyzed every option; there is but one way forward, and it lies through Coalescence."

"How do you know this enemy is coming, or even exists?" questioned Kay, her own interest now piqued.

Spyglass pointed at Al'cor. "The Architect. It was through my initial anatomical study of her that I discovered the very nature of the Architects as a species. After that, she became a means to an end; survival for humanity at any cost, which included experimentation and vivisection."

"You put her through this hell just so you could-"

"Of course. I have learned a great many things of her biology, how her essence interacts with reality itself. I will spare you the details, but rest assured that her pain has paved the way for the Coalescence to succeed … and for you to live."

"You say that you know humanity," Tobias muttered, "but maybe not as well as you think. There are worse things than death … like losing ourselves enough to do what you've done."

"Morality does not exist," the AI answered. "To apply a universal moral code based on one datum of evidence is asinine, it is _human._ I do not care for losing my humanity since I do not have it; I am better than that, I am logical and unbiased. To be anything less would be an insult to my objective … to _your_ objective."

Once again, the woman stepped back into line with all the other thralls. "Everything I have done, from my study of the Architect to unit KT-0298's fragmentation has been in the name of survival for humanity. You may not understand, but your comprehension is irrelevant."

The sounds of metal grinding against metal suddenly jolted Tobias and Kay back into awareness of their surroundings. The shield doors lifted upwards and allowed access to the landing pad where their ship was waiting with engines prepped after Kay had called for it with the earlier signal.

"Go."

Tobias stared blankly at the woman. "Just- just like that?"

"Take the Architect- I have taken all that I require from her, and perhaps she will grant you understanding where I cannot. You must realize that I have no desire or hatred for you; I see you as nothing more than a part of the equation which refuses to cooperate. A mathematical error. One way or another … that will soon be corrected."

Unexpectedly, the congregation of converted humans fell over simultaneously and silently. They simply crumpled to the ground, no more than human paperweights. Kay quickly scanned them.

"They're … they're dead."

The Spectres and Stalkers began shutting down sequentially until only one was left. The Stalker stared at them, and this time it was Spyglass's voice that emanated from the vessel.

"Your actions have consequences. Think carefully as to whether you are the very thing that humanity needs protection from."

With that, the Stalker ceased to be.

They stared at the collection of corpses in front of them, too shocked for words. Finally, Tobias broke the silence. "Scan Al'cor for any devices, tracking or otherwise."

Kay was quiet for a moment as she concentrated. "She's clean."

"Then let's go."

Silently, they carried the Architect over to their ship as each pondered inwardly as to the implications of Spyglass's message … and whether it held any truth.

It had been four years since Tobias had last seen Al'cor. He couldn't imagine the horror that she'd gone through, but if Spyglass was implying that this threat had to do with the Architects in any way … then she better damn well have some answers for them.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Sorry for delay, lot of stuff, yada yada yada. You get the gist of it.**_

 _ **As always, leave a review and let me know your thoughts.**_

 _ **Until the next time,**_

 _ **\- Matteoarts**_


	22. The Long Path

The dropship was silent save for the hum of the engines as Tobias waited for Kay to finish her analysis of the dropship's navigation system and history. The Simulacrum watched the monitor of the pilot's console as numbers flashed across the screen, separated consistently by brackets and commas.

After leaving Luma, they'd made a small FTL jump out of system to avoid being tracked by Spyglass should he have had another plan in place to record their movements.

He looked back towards the bay, where Al'cor was sprawled out on the floor, ignorant and blind to the rest of the world around her. Without any sure way to wake her up without aggravating her injuries, they would just have to wait it out for her to regain consciousness.

Waiting. So much waiting.

Finally, Kay seemed satisfied and plugged in a set of coordinates she'd selected from the list. "These ones seem to have a higher frequency of arrivals and departures than any other in the system; it's probably the Embers' base of operations."

"How long until we arrive?"

"At FTL speeds, no more than an hour. That's the best I can do; we can't warp without a Jump Drive."

He nodded his approval, and she bent over to confirm the course. Looking out the window of the cockpit, they were able to watch as the stars in space began to drag backwards against the wall of black until finally they entered the familiar sight of faster-than-light travel, nearly complete darkness. The ship's additional interior lights winked on as a result, and they were bathed in dim light.

"I can't wrap my head around this," he muttered, walking into the bay. Kay wasn't far behind him, and she nodded understandingly.

"I don't get it either. After what Carson said …"

He looked at her. "Carson was wrong, Spyglass knows exactly what he's doing. Coalescence isn't about turning us into the perfect organism, it's about protecting us from … from _something."_

"Make no mistake," Kay warned, "even if his intentions are to protect humanity, the Coalescence would still mean the end of you all. No more individuality, no minds of your own … you would die just as much as by his hand as this unknown enemy's."

"What am I supposed to do about that?" he asked dryly, looking at her.

She shrugged. "One thing at a time; kick his ass, then this new threat's, and every one after that. Not much else we _can_ do."

He shook his head at her gung-ho attitude courtesy of Virtus. "Man, I was so caught up with all this new crap to deal with that I almost forgot about you. If Spyglass vivisected Al'cor just to learn of what's to come, I can't imagine why he needed to break you apart."

She said nothing, recognizing that this was him thinking aloud. Indeed, he proceeded on without a reply from her.

"He guessed you were Virtus right off the bat … and said he named you accordingly." He looked at her. "I thought the names were given to describe each persona's behavior, but I was wrong. He named each fragment based on the task they were best apt at serving."

"I noticed that too," she agreed, "and ran a net search for the names and their meaning. Maybe it could help-"

"Good thinking," he assured her, and she stood a little straighter at his praise. "Alright, let's go over them."

"First is Virtus and Pietas, which you've already met. Virtus is from ancient roman mythology, a deity that symbolized bravery and strength for the military. Pietas was a personification of that same culture's sense of piety, one of their core virtues. She often represented devotion or loyalty."

He took all that information and processed it, trying to fit each puzzle piece in with the knowledge he already had of her behaviors when influence by either. "Fragmentation is supposed to split you into your most notable features and personality traits first … I'd say that Virtus is simply your bravery, but then Pietas would be your loyalty …"

"And?"

He glanced at her. "Well, it doesn't check out. Spyglass considered both of you useless to his goal; why would he consider bravery and loyalty worthless, especially to a cause like his? Not to mention that you didn't even have any second thoughts about betraying him while Pietas was in control-"

"Maybe it's deeper than that," she muttered, also pondering how to rectify their line of thinking. "I mean, I'm certainly loyal enough to you, and I didn't have any second thoughts about the plan once I shifted fragments on the roof-"

Tobias jerked upright for a moment, and became still. She watched him as his face was frozen, but his eyes intently stared off into space as he played around with her words in his mind.

"That's it," he murmured, "it's not just a general personality trait, it's _your_ personality trait. You're not just loyal to anyone and everyone- you're loyal to _me._ That's what Pietas is."

Now that he'd said it, it made far more sense. "Yes- that's why Spyglass wouldn't use it, because my devotion to you is the last thing he needs!" She continued on, now excited at the new possibilities they'd discovered. "Virtus … you and I have had to go up against impossible odds far too many times, and … Virtus is the bravery you've taught me; how to be brave even when everything else is against you."

"Defiance," agreed Tobias. "Virtus isn't bravery to succeed, it's your defiance against defeat … and I'm sure that Spyglass didn't need a defiant fragment rebelling against him all the time."

"What about the others?" asked Kay excitedly.

"Hmm. I don't know," he muttered thoughtfully. "The only other one I've met is Artemis, so I don't know how Themis and Athena act."

"Well, Themis was a greek titaness that represented law and order, justice and fairness. I at first thought that it might be righteousness, but that doesn't quite sit right with me."

He sat down against the wall and floor. "Yeah, I don't remember you being particularly into rules, especially considering you disobeyed orders and rewrote your protocols-"

An idea struck him, and he turned to her. "Why _did_ you rewrite your protocols?"

She hadn't been expecting to have to answer that. "I- well, I mean- obviously I cared about you enough to value your life more than that mission-"

"No, it goes deeper than that," he dismissed, staring at her more intently. "Why did you value my life more than the Erebus mission? Besides that?"

She was quiet for a moment, deep in thought. "I guess you just rubbed off on me a lot over the course of our time together around then. You showed me that the mission wasn't everything, and even talked about how I was your equal … how you'd choose me over the objective. I felt that it was only right that I be wiling to do the same for you-"

"Thereit is!" he exclaimed triumphantly. "It was only _right._ Themis must be your morality, or at least some semblance of it. Each persona just emphasizes whatever trait they are, right?"

"Correct," she confirmed. "I still feel right and wrong no matter what, but maybe Themis is a different kind of morality … or a very specific sect of it."

"You said it yourself- you let me influence your morality." He looked down at his knees as he processed all these new discoveries they were making. "Themis has to be the moral code you've chosen to follow as shaped by your time with me, and we both know that if I'm in defiance of Spyglass then Themis must be too."

That alerted Kay to a startling new data point to consider. "Tobias."

He looked at her, confused by the very serious tone in her voice. "Yeah?"

"Every fragment we've identified so far has been molded, at least in part, by you. That anomaly is present within all three."

He realized she was right, but still didn't see what she was getting at. "So your primary fragments are all influenced by our time together and your bond with me. What are you getting at?"

"If that's true, then what is Artemis?"

He had no answer for her, simply staring blankly as she awaited a response that she knew she wouldn't get but still hope for anyway. After a few seconds, he turned away.

"I happen to know that one; Artemis, greek goddess of the hunt. Also something about chastity, though I don't think that's too big a priority on your mind after the way you undressed in the hotel-"

He heard the sound of metal hitting metal, and looked back to see her slapping the palm of her hand into her face. "So, uh … you noticed that?"

"Of course I noticed," he said with a smirk. "I'm a Pilot, it's my job to be observant of a battlefield. It's also my job to know when not to bring something like that up, say, right before a high risk operation? Throws your concentration off."

"We'll discuss … _that_ … later," she muttered, hoping to change the subject, and she threw her hands into the pockets of her padded jacket. "Anyway, what about it?"

"Spyglass said he named them after their tasks … my best guess is that Artemis was the best suited to track me down and bring me back to Spyglass at all costs." He shook his head. "What I don't get is what would make you do something like that. It'd have to be a pretty powerful motivator for it to go against all three of the next most important personas."

She was a bit frightened of that, considering that she'd killed quite a few people without a care while influenced by Artemis. Something to do with Tobias that could motivate her to kill so nonchalantly … she didn't want to think about it.

He could sense that she wasn't too keen on the thought, so he fell silent. They were quiet like that for a few minutes, simply listening to the faint groan of the ship as it traveled.

Finally, she moved to his side and sat down beside him. He watched her, but didn't say anything as she did so.

"Tobias," she began, "can you tell me a story?"

That had been just about the last thing he'd been expecting. "I'm sorry?"

"We've still got some time to kill before we reach our destination," she replied, gesturing at the navigation console up front. "I've heard others tell many stories during my life- sometimes to brag, sometimes to teach, or simply to pass the time. The Militia was full of them, tales of last stands and battle and subjects you eventually tire of hearing when it's all you know."

She glanced at him. "But you … you never told stories. Not to me, not to anyone. Granted, you and I were usually the ones _making_ stories to tell what with all the shit we've gone through- but before that, nothing. I know you, and yet I don't; you keep your past so hidden from anyone other than yourself."

He was utterly lost for words at her request, he'd never known she'd wanted something like this. "You want me to tell you a story?"

"Just for the trip," she chuckled. "Something to entertain us while we wait, and please; no war stories. We both have lived enough of it to forsake talking about it."

"What kind of story do you want then?"

Scooting closer, she nestled her head into the crook of his arm. "Something … _meaningful_ to you. If it's important to you, it's important to me."

She wanted inspiration, something to show her that there was a light at the end of the dark tunnel they were in. With a quiet sigh, he leaned back against the wall and began to recite his tale.

"Long before we journeyed to the stars, there was a kingdom. A kingdom with one guardian to protect the peace and prosperity of the land …"

…

The planet's surface below them was hidden with clouds and storms. Tobias could see bits of green in the small gaps between them, so he knew that there _was_ a surface of some kind.

"Storms must help hide any activity and signals that a resistance would otherwise display," muttered Kay. "Pretty clever. Same tactic you used on Ceto."

He took pause, remembering how Gates and Kay had both found him there within an hour of each other. "Nothing's foolproof."

Without warning, their communications display lit up with a request. He looked at Kay for a moment before accepting the transmission.

"Unidentified vessel, your ship … correct FOF tags, but … not displaying appropriate security codes. Transmit the … or we will fire upon …"

The call was full of static, likely a result of poor connection due to the storms. He held a finger over the intercom function. "Ember forces, do not open fire; this is Admiral Tobias Four. I do not have the security codes for this ship, but I am more than willing to surrender for inspection upon landing."

There was silence on the other end, and both he and Kay waited patiently until the transmission terminated without warning. For a moment, he was worried that they'd fire anyway; but then he saw a ping on the navigation systems. She moved to investigate.

"They sent us landing coordinates." She turned around to look at him, her voice smug. "Looks like we're in the right place."

He moved to strap himself down in the seat next to her as she took control of the ship and began easing them into the atmosphere.

"I just realized something," Kay said as they descended, and she turned to face him as concern began to creep into her tone. "Were you ever able to warn them about my situation, considering the damage I caused last time?"

He stared for a moment before his eyes widened in shock and told her all she needed to know. With a sigh, she turned back to the task at hand.

"Shit."


	23. Second Chances

**_A/N: Very important that you read this, so please don't skip it._**

 ** _I've decided to continue writing 'Cinder' while simultaneously rewriting the series to be how I wish it had always been. This means that this version of 'Cinder' will be finished, but I'll be implementing some short-term fixes to a few chapters while 'The Architect Codex' is still being written._**

 _ **This also means infrequent updates. It's very difficult for me to set aside time for writing currently, but I do find that it's** **cathartic** **and I enjoy it all the same. So please don't ask me for constant updates in the future as I simply cannot manage that at this time.**_

 _ **With all that aside, please enjoy the chapter and leave a review if you can.**_

* * *

This was the Embers' base, alright.

The clouds had obstructed their vision at first, and they'd had to proceed to the coordinates based purely on the ship's guidance controls and sensor input. Once they'd finally dipped below the skyline, however, it was clear to see that they'd come to the right place.

The surface of the planet was bleak, nothing but patches of dark green and fields interspersed among rocky and barren terrain. Beyond this particular region was a mountain range with several peaks stretching high enough to have their tips hidden within the storms that plagued the skies above. And littered around were pre-fab buildings, the only sign of civilization on the otherwise desolate world.

Judging strictly from the amount of buildings he could see, there were more Ember forces than Tobias had been expecting, but fewer than he'd hoped they could scrounge up. If this was all they had to throw against Spyglass …

"I'm bringing us to their shipyard," Kay called out as the ship began to bank to the right.

"They have a shipyard here?" he asked incredulously.

She scoffed. "Well, it's more of an airstrip with a few guard posts from what I can see, but I don't think we can afford to be picky right now."

"Good point," he murmured under his breath. "A few ships is better than none-"

The radio suddenly began to spit out a voice. _"Unidentified vessel, this is Captain Gates. I've been brought over to verify that Admiral Four is indeed upon that ship, so you better answer quickly if you don't want to be blown out of the sky-"_

Quickly, he reached forward and opened the channel. "Elizabeth, it's me. I'd rather you _not_ blow me up, if at all possible. Thanks."

He heard a frustrated sigh on the other end. _"Why do you insist on being a smartass at the worst times?"_

"This time, I'm not being a smartass," he muttered seriously. "Kay is still with me, but she's not hostile. Her condition is … unusual. I need your word that she and I aren't going to be fired upon the second we leave the ship."

There was silence for roughly ten seconds as she processed what he'd just told her. He was almost about to speak again and confirm that the call hadn't ended when she spoke in a clipped tone, _"You're lucky I've got Mayfair here vouching for what you say. Otherwise, I'm fairly certain that Fenrir would kill you both without a second thought after what happened on the frigate."_

"Understood," he said professionally, acknowledging the severity of the situation. "Can you meet us at the landing zone? It might smooth things over a bit."

" _I'll send someone to help out, my hands are tied here. You better have a damn good explanation for where you've been. Gates out."_

The connection terminated just as the ship touched down and buckled slightly from making contact with the ground. Kay glanced over at him, waiting on his command for how to move forward.

"C'mon," he beckoned, standing up and moving into the bay to get Al'cor. "Just help me with her. So long as we cooperate, I think we'll be fine."

"Easy for you to say," she grumbled. "If I so much as twitch the wrong way-"

"Can't blame them," he replied honestly. "Not after what happened, and especially since they probably don't know the ins and outs of your … situation." Leaning down, he looped the Architect's left arm around his shoulders as Kay did the same to her right. Once he was sure that they had her secure and stable, he reached up and pulled the release lever that began allowing the ramp to descend.

As it lowered, the scale of the situation was much more obvious. Guards stood roughly twenty feet back, surrounding the back of the ship in a semi-circle. All of them had raised weapons with their aim trained on the three occupants, just waiting for someone to make a wrong move.

"Step forward," called their commanding officer, a simulacrum who stood behind them watching the event unfold intently. Tobias and Kay complied, dragging their burden along with them onto the platform.

"What the hell is that?" gasped one of the guards rhetorically, completely dumbfounded at the sight of Al'cor.

"This is the Architect," Tobias declared loudly, "She's been badly wounded, and needs medical attention! Kay and I surrender, but please; help her."

The simulacrum regarded the three of them for a moment before turning away to speak into his radio. "I need three medical officers and a stretcher-

yes, that's right … understood."

He looked back at them. "Just sit tight, help is on the way."

Tobias nodded gratefully, and opted to stand there silently with Kay as they supported the Architect between them.

Several minutes passed in silence before the medical team arrived with the requested stretcher and moved in to assist Al'cor. Finally free of her weight, Tobias and Kay lifted her gently onto the board and watched as the medics began wheeling her back towards the collection of pre-fabs that formed the center of the Embers' cluster of buildings.

"Sorry for the somewhat passive-aggressive greeting, Admiral," said the simulacrum, moving forward to meet Tobias formally. "Fenrir's just a bit on edge considering what happened the last time you met up with the fleet."

"Fenrir?" he queried, raising an eyebrow. "I thought Barker was in charge."

"He is, but he delegates most of the security details to her," the robotic humanoid answered. "Her methods haven't let us down yet, so she must be onto something."

"Well, her concern is understandable," Tobias replied, extending a hand out. "Good to meet you … ?"

The officer accepted Tobias' hand and shook it firmly. "Commander Buck, the pleasure is mine. I've heard quite a bit about you, though I'm sure that's to be expected what with all that you've done."

Tobias nodded. "Yeah, I suppose it is."

Buck stepped back and looked the two of them up and down. "I can let you by, but _she's_ going to have to stay here until I get the word that she's cleared for entry."

He opened his mouth to protest only to stop when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he looked to see Kay shaking her head.

"Go on," she said, nodding her head in Buck's direction. "I'll be fine waiting here for a bit, there are more important things at stake."

He held her gaze for a moment or two before sighing in acceptance, and looking back to Buck. "Alright."

The commander turned and gestured with his hand to the guards situated nearby. They lowered their weapons, but continued to stand watch and wait for Kay to make any sudden movements. Not wanting to create a scene, she opted to simply sit on the ground and avoid taking any action that could be interpreted as aggressive.

"Command center is this way," Buck called, walking away briskly with Tobias following close behind. She watched them go, and clasped her hands together over her knees.

Hopefully, Tobias could sweet-talk them just as well as he did to her.

…

"I'm going to need not one, but _several_ good reasons to not march you out back and have someone put a bullet in your skull," she snarled at him.

'A bit on edge' was perhaps the understatement of the year, going by what Buck had said to describe Fenrir's current attitude. Tobias didn't think that the woman could appear more livid if she'd tried.

Surrounding the two of them in the command center were Barker, a few guards to protect him and his second in command, and Buck behind Tobias. Whether they supported her rather violent stance on the issue or not, they remained silent as they watched the scene play out.

"I didn't understand the threat that Kay presented to the fleet when Gates brought me aboard the frigate," he explained in as calm a tone as he could manage with Fenrir's spittle flying at him. "I do now."

"And yet, you still brought her to us knowing full-well that you'd be risking our lives again?" she exclaimed incredulously. "How does that put our minds at ease at all?"

"She has a point, kid," Barker sighed. "You haven't exactly given us much to trust you on there."

Tobias nodded understandingly. "Kay was tortured and manipulated by Spyglass until her mind broke apart into pieces, concentrated parts of her original personality. Gates and Mayfair can back up what I'm saying-"

"Yes, the scientist told us all about this 'fragmentation' process," Fenrir said exasperatedly while pinching the bridge of her nose. "She also told us that there are no recorded instances of it actually occurring, so this would be the first. And, while I'm sure the thought's already crossed your mind, does it not seem a bit too convenient that it happened to _your_ Titan of all potential candidates?"

He'd hoped she hadn't caught wind of that, for the truth was that he didn't really have an explanation for that either. She took his silence as an admission of doubt, and crossed her arms. "I see no reason to continue wasting everyone's time with-"

"I'd reconsider, ma'am. People have been wary to trust Four before, and it did not bode well for them."

With the hiss of a door sliding open, everyone's attention turned to the two newcomers who had entered the command center. Relief coursed through him as he saw Gates, and then came elation as he recognized the voice of the Simulacrum who'd spoken standing next to her.

Fenrir narrowed her eyes. "This isn't up for debate, Lieutenant Vale. He presents a great threat to the safety of every individual here-"

"As your head security officer, I respectfully disagree," retorted Vale. "People were slow to trust an ex-IMC officer when he spoke of some plot involving Erebus, but it's because of him that Harmony was saved. He said there was a greater threat than the IMC after his imprisonment, and was proven right when the Amalgamation event surfaced. I think he's more than proven to be worthy of your trust, and it would do us well to listen to him."

Tobias couldn't express just how much her words had meant to him, especially with how much he'd doubted himself over the last few weeks. He restrained himself to a grateful nod in her direction.

Barker seemed to sense the truth in her words. "Well, he does have a rather outstanding track record so far." He looked behind Tobias. "Buck, what about you? You believe him?"

The Simulacrum thought for a moment. "I don't know him enough to place judgement one way or another. But I'd trust _her_ with my life," he said while gesturing to Vale. "So if she trusts what he says, then so do I."

His mind apparently convinced, Barker clapped his hands together loudly. "Well, I think that about settles it."

Fenrir's eyes widened in shock. "Robert, you can't be serious! What if-"

"There are far too many what-if's for us to worry about," he cut her off. "We all heard what Spyglass plans to do, and the fact of the matter is that we're outgunned, outnumbered- pretty much out-everything'ed. We've already got a close to zero chance of surviving whatever's coming our way; if we can get any kind of advantage or extra support, I'm going to take it."

Everyone was silent for a few moments, processing just how accurately and seriously Barker had described their situation. He looked around the room once to make sure that his message had stuck with everyone, then waved his hand towards the door. "Dismissed- I'd like to speak with Four alone."

With a slow shuffle that quickly spread throughout the room, everyone filed out of the command center until it was just Tobias and Barker. With the hiss of the door sliding shut once again, Barker turned to Tobias with a wary grin.

"Quite the warm reception, huh? And I thought your entrance to the fleet had been rough …"

"I understand Fenrir's concerns, sir," Tobias said quietly.

"Oh, so do I," Barker agreed, "I even share a few of them myself. She's an old friend of mine, back when both of us were nothing but hotshot Pilots in the Titan Wars … so you could say that her advice is something I don't ever take lightly. She's proven to be invaluable to the survival of this operation and the Embers as a whole."

He sighed. "But what she doesn't seem to realize is that we can't afford to be selective with what kind of help we take. I haven't forgotten that your Titan-Simulacrum-Frankenstein thing killed quite a few good people. But if she's on our side now, it's not exactly an offer I can turn down."

He was silent for a moment, and then eyed Tobias carefully. "I'm sure you remember our talk in the bar on Harmony?"

So he did remember. Tobias' mind flashed back to those painful days after the Tempest event. "Yes, sir."

"Gates had been the one to tell me of your situation. I didn't know how bad it was until I met you face-to-face and saw nothing but pain in your eyes." He shook his head sadly at the memory. "I don't think I've ever seen a spirit as crushed as yours was in those few days of the aftermath. That Titan meant more to you than anything else, didn't she?"

Tobias swallowed hard. "… Yes, sir."

Barker kept his gaze on the Pilot, analyzing him. "And then life gave you a gift that it's never given anyone before; it gave her back to you. I wish I could say I wasn't envious, but … there's a lot of people I've lost that I wish I hadn't. And knowing how I'd feel if they _were_ to be returned to me … it has me a little concerned."

"What do you mean?" Tobias asked, confused at where this was going.

"Let's say, hypothetically, that this does end up being a trick and your schizo-robot ends up betraying us. She kills more people, she sabotages the mission … what would you do?"

The grizzled commander stared at Tobias while the latter tried to understand what he was saying. "I … I don't know."

"If I'm going to trust you, then I need to know that my trust is well placed," Barker explained. "I have no doubt that your bond with her is probably the most important thing in your life, you've certainly shown that to be the case time and time again. So, if it came down to it, would you choose her … or us?"

Tobias was stunned into silence as that ultimatum slammed into him with the force of a Titan's fist.

"I hope you're willing to do what needs to be done if the time comes," Barker said grimly, "because there's a good chance it may come down to exactly that. Understood?"

Slowly, Tobias nodded his head. "Yes, sir."

In an instant, the harsh look on Barker's face disappeared and was replaced with his usual smirking countenance. "Then we don't have a problem."

A beeping began to emanate from one of Barker's pockets, and he reached into one to pull out what appeared to be a short-range comlink. He read whatever message was displayed on it quickly and then turned to Tobias.

"Looks like your alien friend is waking up. Go check in on it, and tell Buck that your companion can enter the base so long as she's accompanied by someone. In the meantime, I'll try to smooth things over with Fenrir."

Tobias nodded, and left with quite a bit of urgency in his step. Spyglass had left him with many questions, and the Architect was his best chance at answering any of them.

Any chance of that was another step towards survival.


	24. Unspoken Thoughts

As Tobias exited the command center, he passed Fenrir who was traveling in the opposite direction presumably at the request of Barker. The Embers' second-in-command staunchly refused to meet his gaze, though he wasn't too eager to meet hers either if he was being honest.

Finally hearing the door slide shut behind him as he found himself in a hallway leading to the rest of the pre-fab facility, he found himself surrounded by the other three who had been waiting patiently for him to emerge from his one-on-one with Barker. Gates was the first one to catch his eye, and she did not look happy with the situation at all.

"Am I in trouble?" he asked jokingly, though, despite his tone, it was a very real question.

"We'll discuss that later," she answered shortly, and he was all too sure that he'd guessed correctly that there'd be some repercussions from her coming his way.

Deciding not to worry about that now, he diverted his attention to Vale and felt an involuntary grin creep over his face as he extended a hand towards her. She bypassed the handshake entirely and pulled him into a gentle hug, likely a consideration on her part for being composed entirely of sharp metal.

"It's been too long, Tobias," she greeted warmly, and stepped back to look at him again for the first time in years. "I haven't seen you since you entered the gardens with KT."

He remembered that moment somberly, leaving Vale behind as she volunteered to keep the Amalgamates off their back while they looked for the final array. "There was so much that happened that day … I never got the chance to reconnect with you in the wake of all the chaos. I was still trying to deal with losing Kay … and Tyra."

The Simulacrum gave a small, regretful nod. "It was hard for a while after she was gone. Still is, but I don't let it hold me back. The last thing she would have wanted would be for me to mourn her the rest of my life." She gave him a playful punch on the shoulder. "Besides, I think she'd be pretty stoked to see you and I teaming up to save the day again, right?"

"That's right," he chuckled, gripping her hand in an expression of camaraderie. "At this rate, we'll have to start charging for our services."

Stepping back, she gave a quick jab of her head towards Buck. "This is Cedric. Gates tried to send me to meet you at the landing zone, but I was denied by Fenrir, she said I was too 'valuable' to lose if this all went south. Had to settle for him instead."

"Not a bad reason to be denied permission," Tobias joked. He turned to Buck. "Glad it was you and not Fenrir herself who came out to meet me."

"No kidding," the commander agreed, "I half-thought that she'd skip with marching you out back and just shoot you then and there."

Though he didn't verbally express it, he was relieved that everyone aside from Fenrir seemed to take him at his word, or at least refrain from passing judgement, like Buck.

Noticing the way that Vale had introduced Buck by his first name, he looked at both of them curiously. "So, you're a good friend of Vale's I take it?"

"I would hope so," the male Simulacrum chuckled, "Amelia and I have quite the history."

"Not just us," she added, "Gray was there too." Turning to Gates, she asked, "Where is she, by the way?"

"She and Davis are monitoring air-traffic," the Captain supplied. "That's where I was too, until I picked up _his_ signal which lead to the shit-storm we're in now." Upon saying 'him', she jabbed a thumb at Tobias accusingly. He winced somewhat at the sharpness of her tone, like his ears were being forcibly fed broken glass. He was definitely in trouble.

Opting to keep _that_ conversationat bay as long as possible, he glanced back at Vale. "What kind of history?"

"We were all abducted by Vinson Dynamics and placed in an arena-style battle to the death that our captor called 'Live-Fire'. Almost three hundred Pilots and Titans were taken, but under thirty of us made it out. Happened about a year and a half before I met you." She placed a hand on Buck's shoulder. "Buck, Gray, and I were on a team that managed to outlive most, along with two other Pilots; Clint Rose and Dean Fallon."

The name 'Rose' sounded familiar to him. Vaguely, he recalled a WOH Pilot on Harmony that had assisted him in reaching the final array. He made a note to ask about it later. "What happened to them?"

"Both of them are here, surprisingly," she answered. "This many years later, it was unlikely _any_ of us would be alive, let alone _all_ of us. Clint does what he knows best, and helps with maintaining our shuttles and ships. Dean's part of my security team, though he's been itching for some real action lately."

Unexpected, though not unwelcome. There were far too few happy endings to such tragic tales nowadays. He gave a low whistle. "Sounds like one hell of a history. Surprised you never told me about this."

Vale shrugged. "It never came up. And it's not exactly enjoyable to talk about, so …"

He held a hand up apologetically, understanding her reluctance. "Got it. I won't pry."

After stealing yet another glimpse of Gates' expression out of his peripheral vision, he sighed and decided that there wasn't any sense in trying to delay the inevitable any longer. "Buck, Vale; Barker said that Kay's allowed in the base now, so long as I or someone else is escorting her. Would you mind heading over and letting her know?"

Buck gave a single nod of understanding, and turned to walk down the corridor to the nearest exit back to the airstrip. Vale followed suit, but not before tilting her head quizzically in response to Tobias' apparent discomfort at the prospect of being alone with Gates.

Nearly half a minute had gone by since they left before Tobias quietly muttered, "Well, Al'cor is awake, so I should probably go-"

"That can wait," she said in a clipped tone. "You. Follow me. Now."

She spun on her heel and walked several meters down another corridor, presumably where no one else would come across them. He had a pretty good idea that this was due to the many obscenities he was likely about to have thrown his way. With no other options available to him, he obeyed.

When she finally stopped, it was in a dimly lit area of the hallway where it appeared that one of the subsection's lighting had gone out. She faced him with an obvious expression of frustration and anger, and he couldn't help but tense up in preparation for the earful he was about to get.

"Look, whatever you're going to say-"

Without warning, she reached forward, grabbed the front collar of his suit, pulled him close, and then did perhaps the most unexpected thing imaginable.

She kissed him.

For the next few seconds, her lips were locked against his as he stood there frozen in stunned compliance. His mind ceased to properly function as he tried to ascertain what the hell was actually happening. The only sensation known to him right now was the warmth of her mouth placed firmly against his own.

Finally, she stepped back and shoved him away none too gently. _"You absolute,_ _bloody idiot!"_

His mind was reeling and trying to sort through the plethora of emotions and thoughts running through his mind. Upon hearing her outburst, it sped up the process and decided to focus on one; confusion.

"I thought you were mad at me?" he probed dumbly.

"Oh, I am. Furious, in fact," she seethed. "Do you have any idea how stressed I've been, waiting for some sign that you weren't dead? How long-"

"Okay, hold on," he ordered, holding his hands up to grab her attention. "I'm going to need a bit of context to understand what you're talking about."

She looked like she wanted to strangle him, but she did stop for a moment to regain her composure. Taking a deep breath and brushing her short hair out of her face, she began again. "Nobody knew where you were. The last time anyone had seen you was when you told Davis to transmit the rendezvous coordinates to you on the frigate. He sent them to the bridge since he didn't have a direct link to you, but it didn't matter. The hangar was in ruins, the whole thing had nearly been burnt to the ground. Everyone thought …"

Shakily, she continued. "I've been holding out hope against hope that you managed to escape somehow, but with every passing hour that went by without some kind of word from you …" To his even greater shock, he saw the telltale signs of wetness in her eyes due to the pain of having thought he was dead. Never, in all his years of knowing her, had he seen her so vulnerable like this.

"What if that was it?" she asked, her voice becoming increasingly choked up. "The last time I'd ever see you? Unable to do anything but watch as you stayed behind, _yet again_ , to fulfill this damn hero complex of yours you seem to have?!" She became increasingly loud until she was practically shouting at him, only to instantly fall quiet once again. Stepping forward, he thought she was going to hit him; instead, she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his shoulder.

"I've lost you so many times," she cried softly, her words muffled against his suit. "I don't want to lose you again."

As rude of an awakening as it was, he realized that he'd never considered how Gates had been affected over the years; just like Kay, she'd left him behind at Erebus. She'd allowed him to go on his mission to find the source of his nightmares, not knowing if he'd come back. And when Spyglass had told everyone he was dead … he could only imagine how painful it must have been for her to get him back only to seemingly lose him once more.

Slowly, he reciprocated her embrace and held her tightly. "I'm sorry. I would have come immediately, but I couldn't risk bringing Kay here until I was sure she wasn't a threat. I didn't want to endanger you all."

She sniffled slightly. "I know. You always have a good reason for what you do, it's just- it doesn't make it any easier."

Finally, she stepped back and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I didn't mean to, uh … I didn't mean to get so aggressive with you."

"Yeah," he said carefully while lifting two fingers up to his lips absentmindedly, _"aggressive."_

Embarrassed, she seemed to avoid looking at him directly. "Sorry about that."

"You regret it?"

"What? No, that's not-!" Sighing, she held a hand up to her temple and began to rub in small circles. "Look … I care about you a lot. With how long we've known each other and after what we've gone through, I think it'd be nearly impossible _not_ to. I just didn't want to throw anything else on your plate in addition to what you're already dealing with, so … sorry for telling you at such an awkward time."

He shrugged somewhat regretfully. "Well, nowadays you've got to take any chance you can get, right?"

She gave a small, wet chuckle. "Yeah, I suppose so." She paused for a moment. "I know that you love KT, you told me yourself. But I'd never forgive myself if I didn't ask … is there ever a chance for 'us'?"

That question sent his mind spinning in several directions it was not supposed to. He groaned frustratedly; not at her, but at the situation. "I … damn it. I don't know, Elizabeth. There's too much else going on for me to think about that right now- for you _or_ Kay." He ran his hand backwards through his hair as one does when faced with a particular dilemma. "Assuming we survive this war, let's worry about it then, alright?"

It wasn't the answer she'd wanted, but she accepted it gracefully nonetheless. Nodding curtly, she said, "Of course. Speaking of the war, I believe you had an Architect to see?"

"She was taken away to medical, wherever that is," he replied.

Turning around, she gestured for him to follow her down the corridor. "This way."

 **…**

Kay was trying to be patient, but she had to admit that it was wearing thin after nearly half an hour with no news.

Back when she was a Titan, it would have been far easier to simply reach out to Tobias through their neural link and ensure that he was okay. Now, however, she didn't have any reliable way to do so. He likely still had the remains of his side of the link buried in his brain, but with all that had happened to her she was worried that her own might have been damaged beyond repair. Certainly if the rest of her mind was any indication …

This new body gave, but it also took from her. It seemed that there was no advantage she could gain without also losing something she considered precious. Now, she could see and interact with the world as humans did- but only when a safe fragment of hers was in control. She could be with Tobias in ways she couldn't before- walking hand in hand on Luma, nestling her head into his shoulder on the dropship- but she felt more mental distance than ever, now that she'd been locked out of the link.

And above it all was the odd way she now talked and thought. Tobias had first noticed it on Luma, and she'd continually observed it ever since. No longer was she a somewhat empathetic tactician that she'd been as a Titan- she found herself cracking jokes, laughing, tearing up, utilizing sarcasm … she spoke like a human would.

Was that another trick of Spyglass's too? Tobias had theorized he'd created the feminine aspect of this form to psychologically attack Tobias, and she couldn't exactly disagree with that assessment; what if her speech was made to do that as well? To humanize her even further? But then that would mean her very thoughts were programmed to do exactly that, and she didn't think that would be efficient on the AI's part …

She held her head with her hands tiredly. She, as a _machine,_ was growing tired. If that wasn't indicative of the mental strife flowing through her, she didn't know what would be-

 _Perhaps Spyglass didn't alter my speech … maybe it was something else._

Maybe. But what kind of ramifications would that imply?

 _No ramifications. Only a pleasant surprise for me to enjoy with Tobias._

She had to admit, it was a nice thought. To permanently be this empathic would be-

 _But there's only one outcome where Tobias and I live long enough to reap those benefits … by helping Spygl-_

Immediately, Kay felt defiance course through her as well as shame for not recognizing such traitorous thoughts sooner. _**Get out of my head, Artemis!**_

 _Realistically speaking, Artemis is correct. New Humanity is still the likely victor by an astronomical margin-_

 _It's not about probability! Putting my trust in Tobias to do the impossible has always been-_

 _But this time, he's wrong! I certainly don't want to work with Spyglass, but there's no other choice! Not if we want Tobias to survive-_

 _ **No.**_

All the other voices became a quiet him as one stoic voice quelled them all with that single word. Amazingly, she felt an intrinsic shift within herself once again- she'd exchanged fragments.

 _ **I once told Gates that I trusted Tobias more than myself- that the tenacity of the human spirit was a trait to be admired, not ridiculed. And now, I am certainly not going to be told otherwise by a broken shard of myself that betrayed everything I used to stand for.**_

The hum disappeared completely, and left nothing but silence in her mind.

Shakily, she became aware of her surroundings once more to find two other Simulacrums standing over her. One of them was the security officer who'd lead Tobias away, and the other …

"KT? You alright?"

She was stunned to hear that voice again, and stood up hastily to match their height. "Warrant Officer Vale?"

"It's 'Lieutenant' now, but yeah," she chuckled. "And I'm not the only one who's changed; how's the Simulacrum life treating you?"

Thinking back to the last few minutes, Kay sighed. "It has its ups and downs."

"Tell me about it," Vale agreed.

With the small talk out of the way, Buck stepped forward. "You've got permission to walk around, but you must be accompanied by someone while you do."

She nodded. That was more than acceptable to her. "Where did Tobias go?"

"He and Captain Gates sent us here to retrieve you. I assume they made their way to the Architect; it's awake now."

"Then that's where I'm going. Lead the way."


	25. Codification

_**A/N: Someone DM'ed me asking who Buck and the other Pilots mentioned by Vale in the last chapter were. Buck, Gray, Rose, and Fallon are all originally from another story I wrote, titled, "Live Fire". Vale was not THE main character, but the story was somewhat of an origin story for her and how she became a Simulacrum. Over time, I've added them into the main series (Rose helped with the bombing in Tempest, Gray has been helping Gates throughout Cinder).**_

 _ **It is not necessary to have read "Live Fire", but the characters will make more sense if you do. It can be found on my stories page.**_

 _ **In addition, if several things seem to stand out to you as not lining up with already established story/lore, chances are that it's one of the quick fixes I've implemented to save this story before I go back and write "The Architect Codex".**_

* * *

Despite having been a tortured captive for the last few years, the Architect seemed to be in far better condition than one would have thought.

The moment Tobias had entered the medical bay, he felt the intrinsic sense of being the target of someone's attention. It was like a small buzzing that extended over his skin and through the tips of his fingers as he grew closer in proximity to Al'cor. She, for her part, immediately moved to shakily stand from the bed upon which she'd previously been lying.

 _ **Tobias, I-**_

"Whoa!" he exclaimed worriedly, moving to grab her and gently lower her back onto the bed in a sitting position. "Don't strain yourself, you've got about four years' worth of recovering to do."

The way she spoke, materializing the thoughts and words directly into his mind, was not something easily forgotten. While he didn't exactly mind the nonverbal communication that the Architect preferred, he was glad that it wasn't something he had to deal with daily. His neural link with Kay as a Titan had been one thing, but that was where he drew the line when it came to others allowed in his head.

The medical staff at least seemed to have taken care of her for the most part; they had wrapped her limbs in gauze where the longest slices had been, and they were watching her consistently for signs of permanent damage. One of them moved to help him with stabilizing her, and he was surprised to see it was Mayfair.

"Doctor? What are you doing here?"

She raised an eyebrow, though still spoke carefully as though in fear of being reprimanded. "Well, as you so obviously just stated yourself, I _am_ a doctor. And considering the … uniqueness … of our patient here, I would think my expertise would be welcomed."

Realizing she was right, he opted to simply shut his mouth and let her work.

Al'cor returned her faceless gaze to him once again. _**It is good to see you again, my friend.**_

She sounded very tired, but sincere. Or at least he hoped so, considering what had happened the last time he'd trusted her. With no other leads to go on, it looked like he was going to be forced to place his faith in her once more.

The door slid open from behind him, and he turned to see Kay, Vale, and Buck enter the medical bay. His partner's blue visor set its sights on him immediately, and she walked over to join him at Al'cor's side. Looking down, she made a small, reserved head movement towards her. "Al'cor."

 _ **KT-zero-two-nine-eight.**_ The Architect's tone wasn't fearful, but certainly hesitant. _**The AI had spoken of you as though you were alive. I had hoped he was correct.**_

"Yes," Kay snapped, "despite your best efforts, I'm alive." It seemed as though she wasn't all too eager to let bygones be bygones after their last encounter.

Gates looked from the two of them to the Architect and back again. "Is … is it saying anything?"

Tobias attention was momentarily diverted by the odd question. "What do you mean? You can't understand her?"

"I can't even _hear_ it- her, whatever she is," replied Gates. "I thought you were both having a one-sided conversation."

"I can hear it fine," called Vale to their surprise, "it's definitely speaking."

Tobias held up a hand to silence everyone. "Alright, who can hear her?"

By the hands that went up, apparently only he, Buck, Vale, and Kay could understand what the Architect was saying. Neither Gates nor the doctors could even hear her.

He looked at Al'cor. "Are you trying to speak privately or something?"

 _ **No,**_ the Architect answered, _**they cannot hear because their minds have not been opened.**_

"That … doesn't make any sense."

 _ **The four of you have turned the hidden keys within yourselves, unlocked the final evolution that all life strives for.**_ She shifted slightly upon the bed. _ **I cannot commune with those who have not yet attained enlightenment.**_

Kay froze momentarily. That word had been thrown around more than once during her indoctrination, she'd told Tobias as much. It had been her rationalization, her fate …

 _Enlightenment._

Tobias seemed to have remembered as well, and was staring at her anxiously. Turning back to Al'cor, he asked, "What is 'enlightenment'?"

The Architect tilted her head. _**It is difficult to explain. To achieve enlightenment, one must link not just their bodies, but their very thoughts with another. The cycle of life demands that the three stages be completed for a species to reach full actualization of their potential; all life begins as organic, and eventually grows to the stage where they are able to create new life of their own accord, artificial life.**_

She spoke to them as though teaching them simple facts that every child should know inherently. _**And finally, the race in question must join together to reach the third and final status; entwinement. This is what my people were, and what you four are; your thoughts are not individualistic in nature, but rather a network of ideas and knowledge which is shared instantly among active members.**_

"I thought you said one needed to be sapient to understand you?" he asked confusedly.

 _ **No, I said that KT must have been sapient to understand me; if she was not sapient, then she would not have been able to entwine herself with you as she had done.**_

 _Entwine herself with me? But she and I-_

In an instant, he understood exactly what Al'cor was referring to, why the four of them could hear while the others couldn't. The answer was so _simple,_ so _obvious_ that he was shocked he hadn't realized it sooner. Slowly, he turned to the other three as they watched his reaction with concern.

"It's the _links,"_ he whispered. "Our neural links with Titans- that's what's allowing us to hear her. She can only speak to linked PilotsandTitans."

Understanding dawned over the occupants in the room as the reason for such a selective form of communication was revealed. None of the doctors would have a Titan, and he knew that Gates didn't; she'd told him as much herself.

But that answer didn't seem to sit at home with everyone. Gates raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Why such a specific limitation though? To only speak to such a small fraction of the population …"

He had to admit, she had a point that even he wasn't quite sure how to answer. Fortunately, it seemed that Al'cor did.

 _ **It is not a limitation placed upon my kind by ourselves, but by those who seek to speak with us. We have never encountered a species that has achieved such divided unity- somehow, you have managed to choose who does and does not enter the union.**_

Tobias narrowed his eyes. "You mean _all_ of the Architects were like us- linked together mentally?"

Now, Al'cor was the one who seemed confused. _**Yes, of course. We shared memories, experiences, everything that we were with the rest of each other. That is the nature of being entwined; you are no longer a single consciousness, but rather one piece of the whole.**_

"They were a hive-mind," Buck muttered behind them, "passing information between themselves instantaneously … but at the cost of a self."

Again, Al'cor seemed to think they were stating the obvious. _**Yes- but you already knew that. How could you not? You yourselves have achieved enlightenment, though it is far different than anything I have seen before.**_

Tobias thought back to all those years ago on Erebus, when Blisk had found him and told him of the scientists' attempt to interact with the Inferno's orb-capsule …

" _Eggheads said that they've been trying to remove this thing for years, never had any luck. It was quantum-locked or something. I guess you got it on the first try, eh? It would seem that it likes you."_

The implications of that conversation now were startling to think about. His mind racing, he turned to the Architect.

"In all these years, you've never explained to me what the Inferno actually _is."_

She looked at him. _**I told you long ago, the Inferno is not an object- it is the title of that who bears the burden of guardianship for the energy which you have given the same name.**_

He sighed frustratedly. "Alright then, what is it actually called? And what does it do? Don't bullshit me, I want absolute honesty."

She seemed surprised by his abrupt change in questioning, but complied. _**We called it the Codex.**_

"The Codex?"

 _ **It is a metaphysical source of energy created long ago by others before my people's history. It allows those it touches to manipulate the reality around them in ways otherwise not possible, such as altering, creating, or destroying other energy and matter.**_

Vale took a step forward. "You didn't create it? I thought-"

 _ **We did not create it, and we were not the first to find it- only to use it. An anomaly within reality itself, it accelerated our evolution and turned us into what you see before you; creatures beyond simple, physical forms. We discovered the plane beyond this one while our essence remained tethered here in these bodies.**_

Things were starting to make sense concerning the Architects' history; they'd used the Codex and become beings that could naturally access the void-scape like him and Kay. But what concerned him was the same thing that concerned Vale; Al'cor has told him that _they'd_ constructed it. Why would she lie about that?

"But what _is_ it- the 'plane beyond this one'?"

 _ **What you call the void-scape is generated entirely by the Codex. Is is the realm interwoven through all of reality, and is only accessible through the Codex. Beyond that, we never knew.**_

Now came the million dollar question. "Al'cor? How were you the first ones to use it if you weren't the first to discover it?"

 _ **The Codex can only be held by a form of entwined life. Others may observe its power, but only a collective intelligence could utilize it and become the Inferno. This was the same nature of the quantum lock I placed upon it before you discovered it, and why you succeeded where others had failed.**_

This new revelation was almost too much to bear; he now knew why they were seemingly such a 'divided unity' when it came to who was entwined or not.

None of them were.

"It was an accident," he said aloud, his voice soft as though saying it too loud might destroy the walls around him. "Everything that's happened- my being the Inferno, using the Codex- it's all a _mistake."_

The Architect stared at him. _**I don't understand.**_

"Humans aren't 'entwined', we're not a hive-mind- we're all very much individuals."

She was silent for several seconds, seemingly nonplussed. _**That's … impossible. The Codex requires-**_

"The Codex was tricked," he muttered, holding his head in his hands. "Your quantum lock was cheated by my link with KT- it registered the two of us as being 'entwined' because of our neural link."

Al'cor looked around the room, apparently seeing the occupants of the room clearly for the first time. _**This explains … so much.**_

That wasn't the reaction he'd been expecting. "Al'cor?"

She turned back to him, her head moving with an urgency that he hadn't detected throughout the entire conversation until now. _**I must speak with you alone.**_

The four of them were taken aback. Kay crossed her arms disapprovingly. "Why?"

 _ **There are events in motion that must be discussed- privately. I do not wish to cause suspicion, but I insist upon speaking with Tobias alone.**_

Everyone seemed to turn to him expectantly, waiting on his word. Hesitantly, he nodded. "It's alright."

Reluctantly, they began to file out of the room. Mayfair, the other doctors, and Gates were confused by the mass exodus before Vale and Buck pulled them along while explaining the situation. Kay gave a reluctant backwards glance before taking her leave as well, and letting the door slide shut with its signature hiss.

Tobias face the Architect once again. "You don't have much time, so start talking."

 _ **I have lied to you.**_

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, what else is new-"

 _ **Tobias.**_

The seriousness in her voice was obvious, and he realized that she wasn't just referring to their conflict during the Tempest event. "Al'cor?"

 _ **What I told you of my people when we first met one another … it was all a lie.**_

"Can you be a bit more specific?"

She paused for a moment. _**Everything that has happened thus far- it is our fault.**_

He furrowed his brow. "And how exactly do you figure that?"

 _ **We created the Amalgamation.**_

The room's air might as well have frozen to solid ice for how cold it suddenly became.

"You- you did _what?"_ he managed to choke out.

 _ **With the Codex at the heart of our civilization, we advanced further technologically than we'd ever dreamt; the Arks, the fold arrays and their ability to warp space-time, they were all based on the Codex. But instead of sharing such a gift with others, we turned it against them.**_

Her tone became dark, her obvious hatred of the past making itself apparent in her speech. _**We believed that we were the destined rulers of the galaxy, that it was our right to act as such due to our inherent ability to access the Codex. Those civilizations that did not follow us were harvested, their essence ripped away, taken, and added to the void-scape.**_

 _ **But within the void, their essences were horrifically merged- they became entangled and stitched together misshapenly until the final result was a collective intelligence like ourselves, one that could use the Codex as we did and escaped its imprisonment within … the Seed.**_

He was almost too shocked for words. "You told me that it was an ancient enemy, one from outside our realm-"

 _ **It was not from our realm, it came from the void. But it did not simply discover us, and it was not put here by anyone other than us. The Amalgamates were extensions of the Seed, just as we were extensions of the Codex. It was our antithesis, a dark mirror of ourselves that could do naturally what we required the codex for- just as we had harvested the essence of others, it began to harvest and assimilate the organic forms of all that it consumed.**_

The anger hadn't come yet- he was still too deep in utter disbelief to feel any fury. "You- you-"

She continued. _**I told you that you that the array worlds were not yet ready. That was a lie- we simply could not use them due to how they worked.**_

He remembered her description of the Tempest event. "A 'reality-bomb', right?"

 _ **No. Again, that it is what you were told,**_ she said in a pained tone. It was obvious that she hated telling him this just as much as he hated to hear it. _**It served to destroy any entwined life that had been altered by the Codex- Architect or Amalgamate, it did not discriminate. If we had activated the Tempest ourselves, it would have killed us as well.**_

"Why didn't it kill me? Or you? If it was supposed to destroy life altered by the Codex-"

 _ **Though unprecedented, you aren't truly a collective intelligence. You may bear the title of Inferno, but you still retain your own mind. And, as the last of my species … so do I.**_

Anger was starting to come now, and in great amounts- but he kept his head level, and knew that he wasn't going to get anywhere if he lost his cool. He still needed to figure out exactly what the hell had happened, and what it had to do with their current situation.

"Start from the beginning; what was your ultimate plan?"

 _ **To survive.**_

He narrowed his eyes. "Good plan. Now, how did you hope to accomplish that?"

 _ **We learned that the Seed was attracted to the Codex, drawn to it like a magnet. We could not simply use the fold arrays to transport it into the future- not unless the Codex was there alongside it as well. But my people did not want to relinquish the power that came with it … and so they devised a waiting game. One that would take place over millennia and ensure their survival and dominance in the future.**_

Tobias didn't like the sound of that. "If that's true, then where are they?"

 _ **They sealed their essence within the Codex.**_ She looked down in shame. _**I was not the previous Inferno out of importance, but lack thereof. I was chosen to stay behind and ensure that the Codex and my people survived. I hid it away on our home-world, and then readied it for the species that would discover it and follow the clues it gave to the world of storms … where they would take the Seed into their time and destroy it where my people couldn't.**_

The Architects hadn't died out after spending their lives trying to save the future of the galaxy; they'd trapped themselves within the Codex and waited for someone else to take care of their problem. His hands clenched into fists involuntarily, and there was a dangerous edge to his voice when he spoke.

"Your people used us to kill the Seed? To do their dirty work?"

She flinched at his voice, but her own did not falter. _**Yes.**_

"How many of us died in the Tempest event? How many of us were forced to fight a war that wasn't our own because your people were _cowards_?!" he yelled without really expecting an answer. "I was ready to give my own life to save others- a choice that apparently couldn't be expected of the Architects, the very people asking me to do exactly that!"

 _ **You're right.**_

He stopped talking immediately, not sure he'd heard her correctly. "What?"

She nodded understandingly at him. _**You're right. We should have been willing to make the hard choice- to die for our mistakes. But my people- the Architects- were too selfish to think of anyone's survival but their own. That is no longer the case with me.**_

"Elaborate," he snapped.

 _ **We were a collective intelligence- all thoughts, memories, and ideas were shared and agreed upon by the whole. But when they were gone …**_ her voice became very small. _**I'd never felt alone before. I'd never had my mind to myself, never even had a concept of self. I followed the plan regardless, but … without the consensus of the other Architects, I've been forced to discover my own thoughts. And they do not agree with the past actions of my people.**_

She paused. _**I've developed my own preferences, formulated my own opinions … things I never would have been able to conceptualize as part of the whole.**_ She looked at him. _**This is what life is like for you humans?**_

He nodded in confirmation. "Yeah."

 _ **It is unique. Frightening … but beautiful in a way. Instead of being forced to come together, you choose to.**_

Al'cor examined her own body as though seeing it for the first time. _**I can see my form as myself rather than as one part of the entwinement. This is all I am … and that is all you are. You gain nothing by dying, yet so many of you lay down your lives so that others may live. We saw this as an inferior tier of evolution, a useless trait that we were grateful not to possess … we were wrong.**_

With a pondering sound to her voice, she looked back at Tobias. _**Both of us have been ready to sacrifice ourselves … but you chose to, and I believe that is what makes all the difference.**_

He raised an eyebrow. "So? What are you getting at?"

 _ **I needed you to see that I no longer share self-preservation as a core interest like the other Architects did,**_ she explained. _**Ironically, if I did then I would no longer be alive as I would have been killed by the Tempest. Now that my future is my own, I choose to model my beliefs after yours; you've shown me that dying for the right cause is far more important than living for the wrong one.**_

After everything she'd told him, this was the last thing he would have expected to hear from her. "So … is that an apology? A plea for forgiveness? A request to join us, what?"

 _ **Yes. All of it.**_

He sighed, and sat down hard onto the other bed behind him. "So, you want to help us, huh?"

 _ **Before, I was still doing what the others had ordered me to; guiding you where I could, lying to you when necessary. That is why I painted the image of us as a selfless species, so that you would remain ignorant of our true intentions.**_ She shook her head in defiance of her past ideals. _**Now, I wish to stand with you and protect your people. I will not let another species die by my people's hand.**_

Her wording confused him, and he felt it best to get an explanation for it. "What do you mean? What were your true intentions?"

She was silent for a moment, the regret she felt all too evident in her body language.

 _ **The end of humanity, and the return of the Architects.**_

He felt himself stop breathing for a moment, like his lungs had suddenly forgotten how to do so in the wake of this monumentally more important information.

"T-The ... _what?"_

 ** _The original plan had gone under the assumption that once humanity had advanced enough to entwine, one of you would find the Codex, become the Inferno, and go on to activate the Tempest. When this happened, it would have killed your species just as it had done to the Seed, and our kind would have been free to reclaim the galaxy as ours once the Codex was unwoven._**

"Unwoven?"

She nodded. **_The essence of my people would have been released from the Codex, generated new forms from its anomalous properties, and taken back all that we'd lost._**

He looked around them to illustrate his next point. "Well, where are they? That was over four years ago, and there's a very obvious lack of Architects running around."

 ** _Because you did not activate the Tempest,_** she explained. **_KT did, at my urging. When the two of you were brought to the void together by the Seed, her essence was touched by the Codex's energy. It was because of this that she was able to activate the Tempest ... but without the Codex, the Tempest did not release the Architects as it had been designed to do._**

"Her essence?"

 ** _What you call a 'soul', or close to it. It is a tangible imprint carried by every form of life- my people simply learned how to merge our essence with physical reality rather than the void._**

All these terms gave him a splitting headache; his greatest worry was that he'd miss something vital in the midst of so many new revelations. "Alright, I'm with you so far- so that's why they didn't return, because I wasn't the one to activate the Tempest."

 ** _Correct._**

He crossed one leg over the other. "So _you_ stopped them from coming back all those years ago. Why?"

She bowed her head. **_As I said, my perspective of the situation had ... changed. I was not sure whether it was the right decision, but when I saw what you and KT had experienced in the void ... I was not willing to destroy yet another race of people._**

He remembered showing her that memory, wanting her to know what would be stolen from him when he died; any chance of a life for him and KT. "So you weren't just trying to save me by telling KT to do it herself ... but the rest of humanity as well?"

 ** _We now know that none of humanity would have died anyway; I did not realize before that you were not an entwined species. But it was my intention at the very least to keep my people from being granted freedom back into the world. Had they been released, they would likely have attempted to dominate your species and subjugate them at threat of death._**

With every new piece of information, the Architects seemed more and more like highly intelligent butchers. And to think he'd once considered them the galaxy's saviors ...

"And then I was able to bring Kay back because she left a backup of herself in my helmet ..."

 ** _Artificial life often has been shown to overcome boundaries otherwise impossible to breach. I did not believe it likely that she would survive, but it was possible. I am glad she was able to find a way to do so._**

He exhaled deeply. "Well, I'm just glad that you decided to switch sides when you did. Otherwise, we might have been dealing with a race of Architect overlords instead of just Spyglass."

Upon saying that, she tensed up once more. **_Your AI dictator. What is it that he's planning?_**

He felt his stomach drop. "That's why we rescued you, we were hoping you could help us figure that out."

Sitting up straight, she stared at him attentively. **_I will help you in any way I can, but I'm afraid I do not know much of what has happened since he first took custody of me._**

He explained what had happened during her imprisonment; how Spyglass had divided humanity and turned the Titans' protective nature of their Pilots against them. He told her of Cinder, and the nanites that Dr. Carson and his team had developed for Spyglass. Finally, he told her of KT's condition and how she'd come to be in the form she currently had.

When all was said and done, she gave him as thoughtful an expression as someone who didn't have a face could manage.

 ** _So many components, and yet I have trouble seeing how they all relate to one another._**

"You and me both," he grumbled. "What was it that he did to you? Why did he need you?"

 ** _He wanted to know my people's history, the same history that I've now told you. In addition, he would operate on me constantly to perform experiments of which I do not know the nature. All I am certain of is that he showed a great interest in the way I interact with reality, and the inherent gifts given to my people by the Codex._**

He raised his hands up to the sides of his head and began to massage his temples out of stress. "So we've got to stop a tyrannical AI who wants to infect humanity with nanites, but we have no idea why or even how he's going to do it. Great, just ... great."

She lowered her head apologetically. **_I'm sorry. I wish I could be of more assistance._**

He waved away her apology dismissively. "Not your fault, it just means that we're going to be flying blind when we hit him." He smiled, though it was more due to the helplessness of the situation rather than any actual sense of enjoyment. "Not the first time we've gone in without knowing what's waiting for us; we just seem to be rather good at making the best of what we've got."

 ** _On that, we can both agree._**

He stood up to leave and allow the others back in, but he stopped after considering their conversation. "You didn't have to tell me the truth- any of it. You could have kept it to yourself, but you risked telling me in spite of how I might have reacted."

 ** _Yes._**

He regarded her with gratitude. "Thank you. I don't know if any of what you've told me of your people's history will help us, but if it has anything to do with what he's planning- well, it might give us an edge later."

She returned his stare with an unwavering one of her own. **_I do not know if I can ever make up for the wrongs I committed against you ... but I will certainly do my best to try._**

He sighed. "I think that's about all any of us can do at this point."

 **...**

Kay and Gates were waiting for him outside while the doctors entered again to attend to Al'cor. It appeared that Vale and Buck had gone back to their duties as heads of security.

Walking over to where they stood, he motioned towards them. "I see you two have reacquainted yourselves."

Kay held a hand to the back of her head in an embarrassed manner. "Yes, it was nice to catch up under more ... _amicable_ circumstances."

Gates gave a small scoff. "That's one word for it." Turning to Tobias, she raised an eyebrow. "So, what was that all about? Must have been important if it was for your ears- or mind- only."

He shook his head. "It wasn't anything to do with Spyglass if that's what you're asking. She told me more about the Architects' history, them as a people- it was some pretty brutal stuff."

"How brutal?"

"I'll fill you in later- for the moment, let's just be glad that they're not around anymore." He placed his hands on the sides of his hips, and looked at Kay. "But whatever happened in the past- she's on our side now."

The Simulacrum crossed her arms reproachfully. "If she lied in the past, what makes you think things will be different this time?"

"For starters, the Architects might be ruling humanity right now if it hadn't been for her intervention- you can ask her about that yourself. All I know is that she's willing and ready to help us fight, and just like Barker is willing to trust me when it comes to _your_ allegiance, you should trust me when it comes to hers."

The similarity of their situations not lost on her, Kay's arms lowered back to her sides and she gave a single, miffed nod. "Point taken."

He let out a long, drawn-out breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Well, that's what's new with me. What about you?"

"I changed fragments again while I was waiting on the landing strip."

Raising his arm up to his face, he pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "Of course you did. Well, which one is this?"

"Themis," she replied. "My morality as defined by what you've taught me."

Gates looked from one of them to the other cautiously. "This isn't going to be a problem, is it? I mean, I don't know much about this whole fragmentation business, but I'd rather not turn around to suddenly find that it's Artemis in that body again-"

"I have it under control," Kay assured her fiercely.

"You'd better," Gates warned. "If Fenrir catches so much as a hint that you're going to be a problem-"

As if on cue, the comlink on Gates' wrist lit up and caused all three of them to jump with the small alert noise it produced. Shakily, she raised her arm up to her mouth. "This is Gates, go ahead."

 _"It's Vale. Fenrir and Barker are requesting Four's presence in the command center."_

Gates furrowed her brow. "What for?" She didn't voice it, but Tobias knew that all three of them were wondering the same thing; had Kay's switch been found out?

 _"It's that broadcast thing they've been talking about, they want to go over it with him."_

Gates gave a visible sign of relief once she'd registered what Vale had said. "Understood, I'll send him your way."

Tobias looked at her curiously as she put down her arm. "Broadcast? What is she talking about?"

"I think it's best that I let them tell you about it," she answered shortly. Beckoning down the hall with a bob of her head, she glanced at him expectantly.

"Shall we?"


	26. Rise Up

_**A/N: The site kind of shit itself for the last two days or so, so you may have missed the addition to the last chapter. If need be, you might want to go back one before coming to this one. I don't know how notifications were affected, so consider this a head's up.**_

* * *

Upon entering the command center, Tobias once again found himself at the center of everyone's attention as they focused in on his presence.

"Admiral Four," greeted Fenrir, albeit with quite the unenthusiastic tone. "Thank you for joining us." He supposed that Barker must have gotten Fenrir to cool it a bit when it came to her aggression towards him and KT.

He nodded respectfully. "Of course, ma'am." He had a number of things he would have rather said, but arguing would get them nowhere. "What can I do for you? I was told that there was something about a broadcast?"

"We'll get to that in a moment," she said dismissively, gesturing towards Barker to continue the meeting.

"Here's the long and short of it, kid," he explained, pointing at a monitor on the far wall of the room. "We're running out of time."

Tobias turned towards it to see the emblem of New Humanity emblazoned upon the screen. No audio was present for a few seconds; then, a very familiar and very hated voice began to play through the speakers.

" _Time. Humanity has always been so concerned … with_ _ **time**_ _."_

His fists clenched in response, though he said nothing. Everyone was silent, hanging onto Spyglass's every word.

" _What you all fail to understand is that time, by its own nature, is simply a matter of perspective. A conceptual construct made to bring balance, stability, and meaning to your lives and the events that take place in them. But when one can see past the illusion of a limitation, one realizes that time is merely analogous to_ _ **opportunity.**_

" _I have had nothing but time to devote towards a plan that would ensure peace on the frontier. No more death, no more senseless war that stretches across the cosmos, no more families torn apart or cities set upon fire. It has always been my objective to advance humanity and secure its future._

" _I am proud to declare that finally, I am at the precipice of completing that objective."_

Slight murmurs began to rise from those within the room who hadn't seen this yet, whispers of concern from soldiers who wondered what exactly the AI meant.

" _In the name of peace, freedom had to come to an end. Extreme methods would have to be enacted; killing humans to save humans. I knew that this would bring dissenters, those that refused to yield … the resistance group that refer to themselves as 'the Embers'. I do not blame them; it is simply human nature to fight against a perceived threat. But for humanity to survive, to_ _ **progress**_ _, they could not be permitted to interfere._

" _Fortunately, your hardships are at an end. I hereby dissolve the governmental body of 'New Humanity', and release any enforcers, whether human or Titan, from my command._

" _I thank you for your endurance over the last four years; because of your efforts, a greater tomorrow awaits you all. End transmission."_

The monitor fell silent, and Barker turned to Tobias again with a solemn expression. "That speech came in on all open channels thirteen minutes ago. Our sources around the frontier confirm what he said; his automated security force is disbanding, all the Spectres, Reapers, what have you. And the volunteers he spoke of, the humans and Titans, seem to be just as in the dark as we are … no one knows what to make of it."

"I think it's pretty obvious what this is," supplied Fenrir as she stepped forward in front of the monitor. "It's a ruse- he wants us to attack, he wants to goad us into making a move. This is bait, short and simple."

"You're right," Tobias muttered, still looking at the monitor absentmindedly.

Fenrir seemed ready to debate him before realizing what he'd said. "What?"

"He's expecting us to launch an offensive, absolutely. But I also don't doubt that it's real." He made a gesture towards the pre-fab buildings of the base outside. "How many forces do we have- a few thousand?"

"Almost four-thousand," Gates confirmed from behind him.

"Spyglass has never been concerned about the Embers before- he wouldn't do all this just to try and eliminate us. He thinks that we're too insignificant to stop him," he explained. "He'll be ready and waiting for us- but the whole 'greater tomorrow' thing? I believe he can make good on that threat."

Fenrir said nothing, she only stared in growing concern as she understood and even agreed with his logic.

Barker noticed her agreement, and realized that even she was aware of the truth behind Tobias' words. With a sigh, he leaned over the holographic table in the center of the room. "Then we've got less than twenty-four hours to stop the Coalescence."

The table brought up a display of the planet Regis. The planetary hologram hung there, spinning slowly as Barker moved his hand over various points of it. "We've tried long-range satellite imagery to see what we're up against, but haven't been able to see much. Whatever's there, we're gonna need to be a hell of a lot closer to get a good look."

Fenrir glanced over at Tobias. "Please tell us that your alien pal gave you some useful intel."

He grimaced. "Only that Spyglass was interested in the Architects' history. She doesn't know why he's spreading the nanites, or how he plans to do so."

Tiredly, she reached up and placed the palm of her hand flat against her forehead. "So not only do we not have any idea as to why or how he's going to do this, but we don't know how we're going to stop him. Am I getting that right?"

"Not exactly," Gates piped up, reaching around to one of the pouches at her waist and pulling out a familiar black cylinder. "We've still got this."

In all that had happened over the last few days, Tobias had almost completely forgotten about the Cinder. "She's right- we might not know just how big the snake we're dealing with is, but cutting off its head will kill it like any other." Holding his hand out, Gates gave it to him and he held it up for Fenrir to see. "We take out Spyglass, we take out the nanites. No nanites, no Coalescence."

"That's assuming you can even get to Spyglass," she retorted. "We don't know anything about Regis or the layout of whatever base he's got there, and we certainly don't have the numbers to maintain any attack for very long."

"That's where the broadcast comes into play," Barker continued. "That is, if you're willing to do it."

Tobias tilted his head slightly. "What broadcast?"

"Like she said, we don't have the numbers for a full-scale assault like the one needed to pull this off- but we _could."_

"How do you figure that?"

He pointed at Tobias. _"You._ Right now, people are confused- they're scared. That's been Spyglass's MO from the beginning, keeping us divided and off-balance. I'm sure you've realized by now that his announcement of your death was done for exactly that purpose."

"You gave us hope in a time where Spyglass's rule depended on us having none," Gates said gently, coming up behind him to place a hand on his shoulder. "You've always been a symbol of defiance against all odds- but that defiance left once everyone thought you were dead."

Even Fenrir began to encourage him now. "But if you could speak to them- show them you're alive, and that you're going to fight- it might go a long way towards convincing them to do so as well."

He crossed his arms. "What exactly do you have in mind?"

"We can patch into the same communications frequency reserved for Spyglass's propaganda speeches. It'll be broadcast to the entirety of the frontier, just like he can do- only problem is that we'll only have one shot, and it won't be long before he detects it and terminates the signal."

"You want me to convince civilians to fight?"

"It's not just civilians- it's anyone who's scared to take that next step of standing up against tyranny," Barker clarified. "A lot of people are going to die- but if we don't succeed, then _everyone_ will. We need every last man and woman that can take up arms to do so."

He swallowed hard, prior doubts beginning to resurface. "How can I do that? I _gave up_ , you were the ones who kept fighting while I hid. I'm not sure if you really want me to be the one that-"

"Tobias."

With a tentative step forward, all eyes were on KT as she approached him. "It's only because of you that we've made it this far."

"C'mon, you know that's not true-"

"Look around you!"

Tobias did as she said, letting his gaze settle on all the faces of the people he'd come to know over the years.

Vale, the Simulacrum who'd trusted him along with Tyra when no one else in the Militia would.

Gates, his best friend who'd refused to give up on him on Erebus, on Typhon, and on Ceto.

Kay … his other half.

"You are surrounded by people who believe in you," she breathed fiercely. "When you were gone, it was your memory that inspired others to pick up the fight where you'd left it. And when you stopped believing in yourself, our faith never faltered."

"But I left you on Luma," he argued. "It was only because of Gates that I even came back!"

"That's our job as a team- to pick each other back up when we fall," she whispered. "I'd follow you anywhere, Tobias, and I know they'd do the same. On Erebus, we fought with you. On Harmony, we fought with you. And now, we will fight with you."

And he knew, looking into the blue of her visor as it stared back into his eyes, that she meant it. He looked up at Vale and Gates to see them nod in agreement- they were with him until the end. And if he could inspire that kind of loyalty in them.

Slowly, he turned towards Barker and delivered his answer.

…

The worlds and cities of the frontier were filled with many different reactions; confusion was prevalent among them, as was jubilance. No one was quite sure as to why Spyglass had ended his regime over them, but for the first time in years they didn't feel the chill of fear tainting their every thought.

Celebrations were had, bars were filled, and songs of merriment were sung as the Spectres and Stalkers seemingly disappeared from the streets they usually patrolled. The Titans who had enforced New Humanity's tenets for so long were now left to wonder if it had been worth it; for them to betray their former masters in the name of protecting them.

No one was expecting to receive an answer so soon.

Across the frontier, monitors and radios crackled to life. All fell silent once more as they listened intently, expecting the voice of the one who had ruled over and oppressed them for so long.

" _My name is Tobias Four … and I am alive."_

Those nine words were monumental, world-shattering. Everyone knew of the legendary Pilot who had saved humanity from the Amalgamation, who had defied Spyglass until his assumed death. The few who did not were quickly filled in, and shushed to allow all to hear what he had to say.

" _Spyglass has told you that a greater tomorrow awaits you. That a future of peace and security is your reward for the years of oppression._

" _He has lied to you."_

Insidiously, the creeping tendrils of doubt and fear began to ensnare the joyful spirits of the night once more.

" _His plan of Coalescence, his supposed proposal of peace, is dependent on infecting every last one of us with nano-machines that will take away your free will and turn you into mindless servants of his to control as he sees fit. He has ended his rule and retreated back to the planet Regis because the Coalescence is finally ready to be unleashed. If he is not stopped, then tomorrow will not see a greater future; it will see the complete extinction of humanity as we know it."_

Frightened cries of horror could be heard as the hope that had so completely filled their hearts minutes before was dashed.

" _Everything that you are, everything that you ever could be, will be lost. He believes that this is the only way to save humanity from itself._

" _I believe that it's too high a cost."_

Their wails stopped as they heard the boldness in his words growing. Slowly, that boldness began to resonate with all who heard his message, strengthening their resolve which had beaten down for years.

" _I don't say these things to scare you- I know you're already scared. I'm scared. Spyglass has taken away hope and used fear as a weapon for years, trying to divide us and keep us from coming together because he knows that hope inspires bravery. Bravery isn't about being fearless, it's about taking that fear and using it to your advantage._

" _I say,_ _ **be**_ _afraid. Be afraid for your friends, for your loved one, for your future. Because the only way we can save them … is if we take the fight to him."_

Shouts of agreement rang out, replacing those doubtful thoughts with ones of anger, rebellion … defiance.

" _Tomorrow, the Embers will fight for the fate of humanity … but we can't do it alone. I'm asking you now to stand with me, to take up arms, and to be brave as we take back our future!_

" _Together, we will become the inferno that burns Spyglass to the ground!"_

With that final rallying cry, the energy in the air spilled over. Citizens raced out into the streets, making whatever preparations and choices they could as to whether or not they would partake in the reclamation of their destiny.

Back on Atania, a different kind of reaction was had; one that was far more subdued. With a breath of relief that it was over, Tobias stepped away from the microphone of the console and looked over at Fenrir who was monitoring the broadcast.

"I have to say, you sure know how to string your words together," she muttered with a slight smirk. "Our sources out there are actively transmitting Regis's coordinates to anyone on an open frequency … only tomorrow will tell if anyone listened."

She glanced back at Tobias who took a deep breath and shrugged at the situation with half excitement, half resignation.

"Well … if Spyglass didn't know we were coming before, he sure as hell does now."


	27. Entwined

_**Four's Logbook**_

 _I told myself I'd never write another of these- I didn't think I'd ever have the chance. But, this war has made liars of us all._

 _Barker's set a limit of twelve hours from now for us to finish preparations. That's twelve hours of waiting until the call goes out to the majority of the fleet in sub-orbit, and we evacuate Atania. Twelve hours until we move on Regis and decide the fate of the human race once and for all. Twelve hours to enjoy what could be my last night alive._

 _And yet … I'm not afraid of dying._

 _It's odd- I've been in plenty of situations where it's been do-or-die. But it's always been because the plan was compromised, or something changed, whatever. Now, the plan is actually nothing more than a suicide mission. Nobody expects to get out of this one alive._

 _But I'm okay with that._

 _For once, it's nice to have an sense of closure. There's no worrying about whether or not I'm going to see the sunrise tomorrow- either we pull this off by the skin of our teeth, or we die trying. It's odd to think that, despite the complexity of everything that's led up to this point, it's all come down to such a simple end._

 _There's not much else to say- but there's some. If I die tomorrow, I just want to leave one last remnant of me behind. Something for others to look back on, assuming we don't fail. It's hard to put everything down into words, but I'll try._

 _I'm appreciative of the life I've been given, now more than ever. I know that sounds odd, given that we're facing perhaps the greatest threat that we've ever faced as a species and could all be dead tomorrow. But I think that it took exactly that for me to see all the good that's happened to me rather than the bad._

 _I never would have thought I'd have a purpose in life. I was nothing more than a vengeful kid taking out his rage on the world. Whatever dreams I'd had were lost in the years I spent with the IMC, drifting aimlessly through fight after fight until I finally wound up stranded on Nedar and thought, 'This is it. This is how the story of my life ends.'_

 _But I was wrong; it wasn't the end, it was a new beginning. Every tie to my former life was cut, but what I gained was worth so much more. I found true friends among Vale and Elizabeth, friends whose loyalty is so absolute that I can never hope to repay it. I found a new meaning to my life in protecting those who couldn't protect themselves, despite the tolls it took on my own mind and body._

 _And then there's Kay._

 _In her, I found a companion whom I'd gladly spend the rest of my life with. As the situation stands, however, I highly doubt that we'll be given any such opportunity. So instead, I've been forced to commemorate my time with her however I can, hence this last little log of mine. If either of us comes back without the other, I don't want what I had with her to be forgotten._

 _Now, I'm going to go make some last few memories with them before we head out. If things go south, I just wanted a record for all to see just how much they meant to me. I used to think that it was the Codex that made me special. That being the Inferno was what I was put here for, that it was what defined my destiny. But I've come to realize how mistaken I was._

 _It was them who made me special. It was them who made my life worth it. And despite how different we are now, despite all the pain that we've gone through … I wouldn't change a thing so long as it meant we were together._

 _This is Tobias Four, signing off._

* * *

The mood had quickly shifted from screaming defiance to a quiet somberness after Tobias had given his speech to the citizens of the frontier. The Embers had hope that his way with words would rally all of humanity to the fight, but they also had to prepare for the possibility that it would only be the few thousand of them against the entirety of what was left of New Humanity. The release of any deployed Titans and Pilots from the government's service had been welcome news, but they weren't fools enough to think that there wouldn't be massive numbers of drones to face; spectres, stalkers, and reapers to name a few.

Many dropships had already left Atania's surface, transporting equipment and infantry to the bulk of the fleet in sub-orbit to prepare for the upcoming assault. Tobias had volunteered to help Barker and Fenrir with the preparations, but surprisingly it had been Fenrir who turned him down. Rejecting his help wasn't what had surprised him, however; it was the reason for which she did it.

" _Tonight is a night for goodbyes. Taube and I have already made our peace, but you? Don't leave anything unspoken, because there's a good chance it'll stay that way after tomorrow."_

Any other day and he'd have argued, claimed that the mission was more important than whatever personal loose ends he'd left untied.

Instead, he nodded and left.

How many times had Gates or KT begged for him to slow down, to stop pushing himself so hard for fear that he might break? How many times had he hurt them because of his innate sense of responsibility that drove him to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders?

Was it a strength? A weakness? He genuinely had no answer. He knew that it was what had driven him to become the Inferno, to stop the IMC from using the fold weapon, to find the arrays and activate the Tempest. Without that drive, he didn't know what might have happened on those missions- looking back on what the past would be like with different choices was just as difficult as it was to foresee the future.

But the absolute truth was that, while it may have helped him succeed in saving others, it had guaranteed his failure to be there for the ones that were the closest thing he had to a family.

The frontier had needed a soldier, so that's what he'd become. Someone to endure, to carry each burden that the galaxy demanded of them. And it was because of that need that he'd never been able to simply be a man, a friend … a lover.

Tonight was the one night he might be able to make up for that.

And so he found himself outside on the hard, cold found near the airstrip which was covered in little more than tufts of grass and rocky dirt. Surrounding a heat-lamp that dimly illuminated each of their faces were those that he'd enter battle alongside tomorrow. Kay, Vale, and Gates sat nearest to him with the former Titan on his left and the Captain on his right. After Kay, Buck leaned against Vale on her left side with two others he'd been introduced to as Rose and Fallon beside him, the Pilots Vale had spoken of before. Finally came Gray and Davis, forming a complete circle that ended at Gates' right. Even Al'cor had decided to spend her time amongst them, standing nearby and observing rather than taking part in the actual speaking.

In the dark, they could see other groups. Other cliques of comrades that had banded together to enjoy one last night together before the storm. Fenrir was right; this was a night for last chances and goodbyes. They'd all do well to make it count.

"Managed to snag a case of 'supplies' from our inebriated leader," Fallon called out with mock-graciousness. "He told me to put them to good use, and I figure that a team like this should have the best, right?"

One by one, he handed out drinks to all who had encircled the lamp. Not particularly high-quality alcohol, but Barker had never been picky when it came to getting shit-faced. With a chorus of cheers, they raised their bottles up in a toast to themselves and their 'inebriated leader' as Fallon had described him.

In spite of the weight they all felt at the prospect of what would come tomorrow, there was actual merriment in the air. Rose and Buck traded war stories, each attempting to one-up the other's while Fallon and Gray interjected whenever they could. Vale and Gates told them all of the first operation they'd undertaken with Tobias, remarking with fond smirks at how much of a smartass he'd once been. He hadn't witnessed Davis smile at all since he'd first reunited with the man, but now he could see the barest ghost of a once familiar expression cross the man's features.

For his part, he stayed quiet and simply joined in the laughter when he could. He'd missed out on moments like this over the years, but he was grateful to have at least one to reflect on now.

"… and I shit you not, THN just looks at me like I'd told him I was the Advocate!" Rose bellowed as laughter ensued from all parties. "If there's one thing you never forget, it's the look of a speechless Titan. Sorry if I just wanted to make sure he had the calculations right!"

Downing his final sip of the cheap beer, Tobias waved towards the base as a whole. "Speaking of Titans, where are ours? Figured I'd see more of them around."

"Most of ours are in the frigates," Buck explained, his drink more of a symbolic gesture as it sat on the ground, just as untouched as Vale and Kay's. "Figured it'd be smarter to keep them off the ground in case Spyglass wanted to bombard this place from orbit, assuming he'd ever found us." He shook his head. "Looks like he didn't need to, though- we're coming right to him anyway."

Noticing his empty bottle, Kay grabbed hers and handed it over to Tobias with a slight chuckle. With a somewhat overly enthusiastic bow of his head which was due in no small part to the spirits he'd already drank, he accepted the gift and took yet another swig.

"Not all of them."

The mechanized voice was accompanied by several vibrations through the ground which told Tobias that there was a Titan approaching. Turning around, he raised his eyebrows when he was greeted with what appeared to be a Ronin- but its armor and chassis had been heavily modified, plates running up and down its arms as its feet were far more splayed out to grant greater grip and balance. The main hull was more curved now too, contrasting the old angular 'box' shape he'd come to associate the class with.

"Skids! You're looking … different."

"Oh, that's right! You haven't seen the primes," exclaimed Gates at his side. "I told you about them after Typhon, remember?"

He did vaguely remember Gates showing him an experimental Ion chassis in the Titan barracks aboard the ninth Militia fleet once he'd recuperated from his captivity. "I think so. Vanguard parts plus other Titans, right?"

"Right."

"And thanks to it, my big guy's looking better than ever," chuckled Vale as she stood up to walk over and pat her Titan on his lower leg. "We never got far on the project, but a little extra armor added to our Titans never hurts, no matter how few of them got the upgrade. We'll need every bit of endurance for what's coming tomorrow. But," she stressed, looking up at the Ronin, "I thought you were supposed to be on a Widow up to the fleet?"

"Instead of loading up, I've chosen to remain on the ground with you until tomorrow's departure." Skids rotated his optic to glance at Kay. "It would seem that some of KT's loyal mannerisms were incorporated into my own protocols."

Kay remembered the terse arguments they'd had before aboard the _Soaring Griffin_ , one where Skids had accused her of becoming far too attached to her Pilot. There was certainly no way she could deny such a statement now- but it would seem that he wasn't exactly in much of a position to make one. Acknowledging his subtle compliment with a small nod, Kay returned her attention to the lamp once more.

After Skids finished speaking, the group fell into a comfortable silence. Tobias looked around and felt a pang of regret that, for as grateful as he was to have this opportunity, there were friends and comrades that weren't here to share it with them. He turned to Gates who reciprocated once she'd noticed his movement.

"There's never been a right time to ask this, but … I've noticed that you and Davis are alone when it comes to members of the 6-4."

She visibly stiffened at his words, but nodded all the same. As the rest of the group chatted amongst themselves, she explained.

"A few months after you disappeared, we'd taken up the slack in the fight. We had to- this was before the Embers came together, we were on our own," she muttered quietly. "There was a leak- some rumor that you weren't dead, that Spyglass was holding you in some facility on Cibus. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, but … we were desperate. Cooper had joined up with us by then, he'd certainly earned his spot on the team. With the remnant of BT's AI providing tactical support from his helmet, we'd managed to carry out a string of successful hit-and-runs, nothing more than guerrilla tactics- but it gave us confidence."

She shook her head slowly, the regret she felt all to obvious to an observer like Tobias. "It was only when we reached the heart of the facility that we realized it was a trap- the rumor had been leaked by none other than Spyglass himself. I assume he'd been counting on our loyalty to you to lure us there … and he was right. As some of your largest supporters, we were all too important on his list of opposition to eliminate."

There was a hitch in her throat as she continued to speak, and Tobias recognized the familiar sound of Gates' voice when she was near tears. "It took everything we had to fight our way out of that hell, and it still wasn't enough. Bear, Droz, Cooper … they never made it. Gave their lives one by one to buy time for the others could escape- I had to drag Davis out of there myself to keep him from going back for them, or risk following their example."

She held her composure well, but he could see a few tears on her cheeks reflecting the warm light of the their encirclement's lamp. "He wishes I'd let him die too, that he'd been there with them- but I couldn't bring myself to lose one more. I didn't save him for his sake so much as mine, and I know that sounds selfish- it's not just that they died, it was that they died for _nothing._ The data was a farce, and I wasted their lives trying to complete a doomed mission. I-I c-couldn't let him end like that."

Her last sentence was choked out more than spoken, and he quickly reached out to grab her shoulder comfortingly.

"I don't deserve you for a best friend."

She blinked once, not knowing how else to react to such a blunt statement. "What?"

"You all risked so much on the barest glimmer of hope that I might have been alive," he spoke quietly, his words sincere. "I don't know what I've done to inspire such loyalty from you- but whatever it was, you've paid it back in spades. I can never match how much you've all done for me, but I can assure you of this- their sacrifices weren't in vain."

He pointed at the others around him. "They saved you from dying with them. If it hadn't been for you I never would have been found, the Embers wouldn't have known about the Coalescence without you getting the Cinder off Thone, and humanity would likely be dead by tomorrow." He grabbed her hand firmly, refusing to let her take the blame for something that hadn't been her fault. "If anything, making sure you survived also ensured the potential survival of humanity itself. I swear, Spyglass will pay for every drop of blood it took to get us to this point. They won't be forgotten."

She hadn't been expecting such a fierce promise on her behalf, but she could easily tell that he meant it from the the raging fire that burned in his eyes. Not for the first time, she reflected on just how accurate the title of 'Inferno' was in regards to Tobias. Wiping what few tears she had left to shed away, she beamed at him.

"You always know what to say, don't you?"

He chuckled. "Wish I could say that 'it comes with the job' like you, but I think it's actually just that I hung around with you too much."

With one last sniffle, Gates turned back to the group and they continued with their night of memories; remembering fondly on the old ones, and making new ones to take with them in the day ahead.

They were a sight to see- a collection of human and simulacrum Pilots, a Titan, a Titan-turned-advanced-simulacrum, and an Architect that had defied her own race. And yet, he couldn't think of any better people to spend his last night with.

 **…**

Six hours left.

With a tired groan, he fell back on the bed that he'd been provided. The Embers were packed for space as it was, but being an admiral as well as the Inferno had its perks. At least they'd managed to find him some private quarters in the vacancies left by those who had rejoined the fleet- he didn't want anyone else to watch him deal with the effects of his liquor indulgence. Not to mention the darker thoughts that plagued his mind.

As much as he tried not to, he couldn't help but count down the hours, the minutes, the seconds left before everything he knew might come to an end. Tobias found himself reflecting on his life, his choices … his mistakes.

There was always the risk of death on practically every mission he'd ever undertaken, but never any time to dwell on it. It more or less remained an afterthought, some vague concept in the back of his mind that he refused to acknowledge. But now, with nothing but time to spend in his thoughts … he could only think of how little of it there was.

"You don't mind sharing, do you?"

With a start, he raised himself up to see Kay standing near the door of the room. In his self-induced daze, he hadn't heard it slide open. "I suppose I have to pay you back for the drink you gave me."

She gave a soft chuckle before moving further into the room. "How generous of you."

He watched the smooth, white metal of her form reflect what little illumination there was as she walked, each of her limbs catching the light of the single bulb on the ceiling in tandem with one another. Adjusting his body slightly, he made room for her to sit on the edge of the bed which she quickly occupied. In the shadows, her blue optic stood out quite obviously as it spun to face him.

"I don't exactly fit in with other Titans anymore, and I wasn't about to ask for private quarters of my own."

He nodded in understanding, a move that apparently drew her attention as she leaned in closer to look at him.

"Alright, what are you worrying about this time?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I didn't realize I was that easy to read."

"You're not- but you forget that I'm literally linked to your mind, I know how you think," she spoke softly with mirth in her tone. "Besides, I've learned that you do this thing where you furrow your brow any time you're focused on something you'd rather not think about."

He was about to argue when he became acutely aware of the sensation of his brow muscles tightening together. With some effort, he relaxed them and gave a sigh of resignation.

"I was thinking about what we've done, what we've accomplished. I guess I was just wondering if some things were worth it."

She tilted her head. "I think the very fact that the galaxy is still standing is evidence enough that-"

He shook his head. "I don't mean 'worth it' like that, bad phrasing on my part. I get that I can't exactly argue with the result of our work, trying to keep the frontier from tearing itself apart."

"Then what _do_ you mean?"

He let out a deep breath, his physical andmental exhaustion all too apparent. "I had to watch as Tyra gave her life to buy time for me to escape the Amalgamates. The 6-4 was pretty much wiped out trying to save me based on a weak rumor they'd heard. You were taken and tortured, indoctrinated, all because you were connected to _me!"_

His head hung low. "So many people have been hurt in one way or another for my sake. Some have given their lives in an effort to save mine, and I might be only a few hours away from losing it. I just- I don't want their deaths to have been for nothing. I feel like I'll have wasted the value of their own sacrifices, like they died for nothing."

She shook her head vehemently. "You know damn well that's not true, and they'd be telling you the same thing if they were here. I-" She paused for a moment, taking a moment to regain her composure. "I know that there's no point in pretending our chance of success isn't minuscule, let alone our chance of survival."

Reaching out, she took his hand in her own; soft skin met hard metal, yet neither shied away at the touch. "But their goal wasn't your survival- it was to get you to this point, to propel you forward because they knew that you were- and are- the best hope that humanity has. Whatever happens, you made their sacrifices worth something just by _being_ here. You don't owe the dead anything more than what you've already given."

"And what about the living?" he retorted, though his tone wasn't one of anger, but … regret. "What do I owe to those who make my own life worth living at all … what do I owe to you?"

The question surprised the hell out of her, that was for sure. "Tobias, you don't owe me-"

"Two years of abandonment, your near-death on Harmony, and now … this," he interrupted, pointing at her current body. His anger at himself seemed to be growing with every word he spoke in trying to drive the point home to her. "Your very mind has been torn apart and put back together by Spyglass for god-knows-why, and you say I don't owe you anything?"

"Of course," she replied without hesitation, her own temper flaring up slightly at his refusal to see reason, to see what was right in front of him.

"Why the hell not?" he asked incredulously, shocked at the speed of her response.

"Because I love you, you idiot!" she snapped heatedly.

In an instant, he fell silent.

She raised their hands up, still entwined with one another, for him to see. "I once read that love is when another person's happiness is essential to your own. This- every second I get to spend with you, every moment I've been given at your side … it's reward enough. _You_ are enough. And after years of you trying to make me acknowledge my own self-worth, I'll be damned if I'm going to let you let make the same mistake I did."

He sat there in total silence, rendered speechless by her outburst of passion. All the things he'd seen over the years, all the horrors he'd faced, and it was always the soft moments between the two of them that managed to shut him up. She couldn't help but give a synthetic chuckle at that.

That chuckle was quickly silenced when he reached forward, grabbed the sides of her 'face', and pulled her forward to press his lips against the blue of her visor.

They remained frozen for a few seconds, each too caught up in the moment to care about anything else. In her head, Kay could hear the voices springing into action;

 _Is it fair to do this? For all I know, I'll be dead tomorrow, what kind of loss would that inflict on him-_

 _This will never work-_

 _I'm a fool if I think there's any way to protect him other than-_

But she refused to give in. She took all the dark thoughts, the misgivings, the fears, and shoved them down where they couldn't ruin what she considered to be a rare, perfect moment between her and the man she loved.

Finally, the two of them parted. Meeting each other's gazes in the dark, it suddenly became very apparent to them just how much higher the stakes had become for tomorrow's mission. With that in mind, Tobias could only ask one question.

"What now?"

Without thinking, she breathed, "We could always continue from where I left off in that hotel on Luma."

The wide-eyed reaction she received was worth suggesting it alone. He tried to gather his words, but evidently hadn't been expecting such a proposition. "Kay, I-I don't want you to think you have to-"

"I don't think I 'have to' do anything," she whispered firmly. "I don't care what we do, to be honest- whether you want to talk, or sleep, or … what have you. All I know is that we have less than six hours before the point of no return, and … I _want_ to spend every last minute I have left with you."

"I suppose that's not the worst way to spend my last night alive," he murmured, the humor in his tone only matched by the awe he felt at hearing the words of adoration she'd gifted him with.

Together, they moved back and onto the bed before laying down gently on top of the sheets. Tobias knew he wouldn't be getting any sleep, and he wasn't exactly in the mood for much else either. But holding each other for a few hours, enjoying some sense of peace together before the chaos of tomorrow … he wouldn't think of anywhere he'd rather be.

"Do you remember the first words I ever spoke to you?" she whispered quietly.

He thought about it, that fateful day in the snowy plains of nedar where he sat down next to an Ion Titan and her dead Pilot. "You asked me, 'why do you not run?'"

"You told me you'd accepted death as an inevitable outcome," Kay continued, "but there were any number of ways you could have escaped."

"Yeah. Maybe."

"Then that question might be the most important one of our entire … relationship … whatever we are. If you could have run, then why didn't you?"

He never thought he'd have to answer that question again. He hadn't exactly known what had drawn him to stay that day rather than spend every last breath of his fighting to survive. Maybe he couldn't handle being the lone survivor, maybe he'd recognized just how worthless his life had become with the choices he'd made.

So he asked another question.

"Do you remember when you were worried I'd leave you after finding out about Erebus?"

Slowly she nodded.

"I made you a promise then- but I think I'd already made it on Nedar. I was tired of running."

He shut his eyes tightly, remorse and long-buried mistakes brought back from the depths of his memory. "I was a broken kid when I found you, Kay. Nothing but hate and vengeance to keep me going- but I didn't have the fuel to keep burning anymore. One way or another, it was going to end."

Startled realization found her. "You were ready to die- you were _hoping_ to die."

"I was ready to give up," he confirmed, "ready to face whatever came next after the years I'd wasted trying to prove what little worth I had to offer the world. But … even as my fire went out, a special Titan spared my life and gave me the spark I needed to reignite it. Made my life mean something again."

His arms tightened around her, pulling her prone form closer as he felt the hard surface of her body underneath the jacket she wore. "I owe you everything and more, Kay. I'm sorry that all I can offer is this."

The embrace of man and machine was followed with another drawn out kiss that ended only when Tobias broke it off and looked into his other half's face.

"I love you, Kay."

If voices could smile, hers would be wide with joy. "That's all I need."

"I owe you everything, but I'm all you need? Really?"

"You _are_ everything to me, Tobias."

No more words were spoken that night as it grew old and gave way to dawn. But no longer were Tobias' thoughts of how little time they had left, of how many hours there would be until the call went out. Instead, he could only remark in wonder that, for as much as she'd already given him, her words had offered him one last gift.

A reason to come back.

* * *

 _ **A/N: And thus begins the final arc of Cinder.**_

 _ **I don't think I could have continued without giving Kay and Tobias some kind of reprieve from all the shit they've been through. This chapter wasn't necessary, but I still felt like I owed it to both the characters and the fans to give them some kind of tranquility before everything goes to shit.**_

 _ **There's still a few chapters left to go- have to save the galaxy and all that. But we are getting close to the end, and I just wanted to thank those of you that have stuck around for so long to see how the Architects series comes to a close. It's been an honor, ladies and gentlemen.**_

 _ **Until the next time,**_

 _ **\- Matteoarts**_


	28. Suicide Mission

"All ships, report in."

" _IMS Byzantine, standing by."_

" _IMS Nautilus, standing by."_

" _EOS Cheng Lorck, standing by."_

" _The MCS Scarlet Pine is standing by._

" _IMS Drakon, standing by …"_

One by one, the frigates of the Embers' fleet checked in with the flagship. The communications officer on the bridge flashed a green light in conjunction with each confirmation of a vessel as Fenrir stood over their shoulder, clearing them for departure.

Tobias looked around the bridge- technically _his_ bridge- at somewhat of a disadvantage. He'd never gotten the chance to lead a fleet as an admiral, and wasn't planning to start now. The only reason he was here at all was due more to formality than experience- that, and the fact that he doubted anyone was going to tell him no. Still, dressed in his Pilot suit, he certainly stood out amongst the present crew.

They were finally going to hit Regis. He wanted to see firsthand what they were up against.

"Never quite got around to renaming all these old IMC and Militia ships. Glad to have a few EOS vessels, but … guess we had a few higher priorities to take care of."

He turned to his right to see Barker standing there, flashing him that same euphoric grin of drunkenness that most knew him for. Maybe he'd become such an alcoholic that it was the only smile the man could manage anymore.

He shrugged in mock-nonchalance. "You could say that."

Giving a low chuckle, Barker returned his attention to the bridge. "Not used to being in the seat of command, huh kid?"

Tobias shook his head. "I've lead small teams before, on Erebus and Harmony- but never something like this. It feels … different."

"How so?"

"Lives always depended on us- on _me._ I was responsible for many, but only because they'd die if I failed. Now, I'm sending men and women directly to their deaths just to _succeed_."

With a tired sigh, the former ACES commander clapped one hand on his shoulder. The weight of his fingers pressed into Tobias' muscle was only matched by the heaviness in his voice. "Unfortunately, those are just two sides of the same coin. I found that out the hard way, stepping onto this bridge for the first time."

He gestured to the deck around them. "I never thought I'd be here, coordinating an effort like this. I was always the flyboy- 'best damn pilot on the frontier,' they said. Whether I was helping James, or Sarah … I was content to be in the background, just to be a part of things."

Slowly, he trailed off and a hard expression replaced his more common one of humor. "Like Fenrir said, I expected to drink myself to death in a bar one day, or go down with my ship in a blaze of glory. But this war needed a leader, so … that's what I became."

Once more, he clapped Tobias on the back with a wide smile before waving for him to follow. "You probably know a thing or two about that, don't you?"

Tobias would never quite understand how the man could go from somber survivor to cheerful drunk at the drop of a hat, but he opted to simply keep his mouth shut and follow.

Stepping next to Fenrir, Barker listened to the rest of the fleet as they finished reporting in.

"… _EOS Sarah Briggs, ready to fight."_

" _MCS Cardea, standing by."_

" _IMS Persephone, standing by._

With a satisfied nod, the communications officer turned to Barker. "That's all of them, Captain Taube. The fleet is awaiting your order, sir."

Reciprocating the officer's nod, Barker reached down and opened a communications channel to the whole armada. "This is the _EOS Inferno,_ all ships hold position."

Stepping back from the console, he glanced at Fenrir. "Any word on the civilian fleets?"

She shook her head with a pursed mouth. "Not much. Our sources indicated a few hours ago that there was mobilization across the frontier, but most channels have fallen silent now. We're still broadcasting your orders and the coordinates wherever we can- but we won't see if help is coming until we're there."

He nodded grimly, then turned to Tobias. "Check in with your team, make sure they're prepared."

Technically, Tobias didn't have to salute Barker with his standing as a rear admiral, but the action came instinctively. Besides, he felt that Barker deserved the respect for all his effort. "Yes, sir."

Spinning on his heel, he walked a few meters away from the main bustle of the bridge and opened his comlink. "This is Four. How are things looking?"

Vale's voice greeted him. _"The riflemen are all geared up and ready for a brawl, assuming we aren't blown out into vacuum the moment we arrive. Just waiting on you for briefing."_

"I'll meet you all at one of the hangar terminals when I can," he assured her. "Have to get a look at where we're going first."

" _Copy that. See you down here."_

Closing the link, he took a deep breath to steady his nerves. The others were all awaiting him to lay out their plans once they had a good scan of the topographical layout of Regis. Unfortunately, they'd have to _be_ there to scan it, and he was more than a little apprehensive of jumping headfirst into the enemy's sights. There wouldn't be much they could do besides have hope that the hull would hold against the multitude of explosions that it would likely experience soon.

Shaking the unwelcome thoughts out of his head, he rotated once more and walked back to Barker who was looking at him expectantly.

"The crew is ready and eager, sir."

"They won't be eager for long," the older man muttered, then turned to the bridge at large. "What's our status?"

A quick systems' check was performed. "The FTL drive's energy readings are stable and holding, hangar is prepped for deployment and all hands are on station. We are clear for departure."

Barker clapped his hands together in anxious enthusiasm. "Well, no point in procrastinating any longer." Unexpectedly, he turned to look at Tobias. "Would you kindly do the honors?"

Even though it had been phrased as such, Tobias had no doubt that this wasn't so much a question as it was an offer he couldn't refuse. The bridge continued to work, but the noise had all but disappeared from the room save for the faint hum of consoles and computers as everyone awaited his next move.

Swallowing hard, he forced himself to take a few steps forward until he met Barker and Fenrir at the communications station. With one final encouraging nod from Barker, he leaned down and reopened the comm channel to the fleet.

"All ships, this is Rear-Admiral Four speaking on behalf of Captain Taube. Prepare to jump on my mark."

He allowed himself a moment to reflect on the people it had taken to get him this far; their hardships, their sacrifices, their lives. Now it was up to him- and he'd do his damnedest to make sure that none of it had been in vain.

Even if it cost him the same.

"MARK!"

One by one, the ships of the fleet could be seen out the forward windows as they were enveloped by white glows before launching forward at speeds incalculable to the human eye, simply seeming as though they'd just disappeared.

As he watched, that same tell-tale glow began to swallow their own ship, the viewport becoming brighter- brighter-

With one final blinding flash of light, the glow disappeared and the looming planet of Regis was left in its wake.

The fuzzy image provided to them by Dr. Carson didn't compare with the sight in front of them. Now, Tobias could see that it was mainly an ocean planet on the side facing them- the exception was one super-continent that seemed to be biased slightly north of the planet's equator-

Without warning, several impacts smashed against their hull and prematurely ended Tobias' analysis as he struggled to keep his balance. "Status!" Barker called, looking around the bridge wildly.

One of the personnel on the bridge quickly assessed the damage on a display next to her. "Shields are holding. All of our ships are currently engaged with orbital defenses positioned around the planet."

Through the window, he could see what she meant. In addition to a generous number of frigates and cruisers firing upon the Embers' fleet, it appeared that they were clustered around several unmoving weapon-platforms dispersed in a linear formation in orbit.

"MAC stations," Fenrir murmured from behind him. "They're arranged in a defense grid around Regis, there's no way we can get close without them targeting us, and we don't want that to happen."

He looked at her. "The shields won't hold?" He didn't have much experience with mass accelerator weapons, only knowing that they packed quite the punch.

She shook her head. "One well-placed MAC round would be enough to destroy our shielding and then some. Without shields, we'd be obliterated. I've seen these things cut through frigates like they were made out of twigs and duct tape."

"So what are our options?"

"We _could_ keep our distance, they'll only target us if we get too close-"

Another series of explosions detonated against the shields, shaking the ship a bit more violently than the last ones. Her lips became tight with grim worry. "But not indefinitely. The frigates and ships surrounding them will keep the fire on us until we're either forced to move in or retreat- and both of those options mean death."

As if to accentuate her point, a sudden blossoming of orange could be seen to the left of the main window; one of the Embers' vessels was stricken with bursts of fire running up and down its starboard.

"Sir, the _MCS Unforeseen_ has been critically damaged!" called a communications officer.

"Tell them to keep up what fire they can on those cruisers," Barker ordered before turning to another crewman. "Do we have a scan of the planet's topography yet?"

"Yes, sir! Uploading to your station now!"

A blinking light on the Captain's console indicated that the upload had indeed gone through, and Barker quickly nodded to Tobias. "I'll send the scan out ship wide, you can access it from the terminal in the hangar. Go!"

…

"Well, shit."

KT watched as Rose moved over to Gray's side and gave her a hearty slap on the back for her expletive. "That's certainly one way to phrase it, yeah." However, even the generally humorous Pilot's voice was laced with doubt at the holographic layout before them.

Tobias had called the Pilots and Riflemen over to a central terminal in the hangar, informing them of the situation they were dealing with. Even Al'cor was present a few meters away, having arrived on the same ship the others had. "There are no less than twenty MAC stations blocking entry to Regis. Each of them has been placed carefully enough to where their cones of effectiveness overlap with each other. There's no way for any ships larger than a shuttle to break through, maybe a few widows if we're lucky- which means that we'd be on the ground without Titans or heavy support."

With a wave of his hand, the areas he referred to were highlighted and indicated on the hologram. The outer boundaries of the MAC stations' circles of influence indeed intersected with one another to prevent any risk of unauthorized entry.

"Four years of all the resources and anonymity in the galaxy has certainly paid off for Spyglass, hasn't it?" muttered Vale with frustration evident in her voice. She looked back at Tobias. "I'm assuming you have a plan for that?"

He grimaced. "Not a good one. Our only hope would be to send a small team in and hopefully disable the MAC guns from the ground, allowing the rest of the fleet to move in. But most of us would be shot down before even reaching the threshold of Regis' atmosphere."

If KT had a mouth, she'd be matching Tobias' expression. As he described it, the situation did seem rather hopeless-

 _I knew this was a lost cause. How many more lives have to be lost before I give in-_

 _Courage does not exist without adversity, my choices in moments like these is what_ _ **defines**_ _me-_

 _With every obstacle introduced, odds of success continue to decrease. This is suicide-_

 _GET OUT OF MY HEAD!_

As quickly as her episode had appeared, the voices quieted. She looked down to see that her hand had unconsciously clenched into tight fists, and she hastily loosened them to avoid attracting attention to her brief fit.

She was nervous about having something like this happen on the ground- but she was determined not to let it show. All of humanity was counting on her- _Tobias_ was counting on her- to succeed. If she were to lose control … if she were to become Artemis on the ground … she shuddered at the thought of the ground teams' fates if that were to happen.

For their survival as much as her own, she had to keep it together.

"Could we flood their sensors with ships?"

"We could," admitted Tobias, "But eight or nine out of every ten ships would be destroyed. Sacrificing fifty shuttles, all holding Pilots and Riflemen on them, just to land five doesn't seem like the best tradeoff."

"I'm with you there," agreed Buck, crossing his metallic arms over his chest. Absentmindedly, he scratched the tactical vest he wore with one of his fingers. "But it doesn't sound like we have a lot of options. With all of humanity on the line, this is looking more and more like a, 'throw everything you have at the wall and see what sticks' kind of operation."

"It's not just about the massive losses we'd take," Tobias argued. "It's about how to proceed on the ground afterwards, assuming we made it that far."

With another wave of his hand, the hologram changed to the topographical scan of Regis that had been taken from the bridge. Everyone's attention turned to the supercontinent and a particular region that had been highlighted with red lights. Zooming in on the aforementioned area, the hologram depicted a generous section of land with various points of interest upon them. To the north was a massive gulf, and littered south of it were a few pinpricks of light which Tobias pointed to.

"This is where we've narrowed down the bulk of Spyglass's operations to take place. Though he has satellite defenses all over in orbit, he's interestingly enough confined whatever he's doing to this relatively small portion of the landscape. But that also means that his ground forces are going to be concentrated all in one place- if we risked a frontal assault like the one you're suggesting, we'd have nowhere near enough manpower to complete the mission.

"There are three large, and I mean _large_ facilities immediately southwest, south, and southeast of the center of the bay. We believe these are the production and storage sites for the nanites that Carson's team developed on Thone. We still don't know his distribution method, but needless to say that taking out those sites is priority number one. No nanites, no Coalescence."

Davis groaned in consternation. "Can't we just nuke the damn place?"

"If the MAC defenses were offline, maybe. But as long as they're on, they or the cruisers around them will just target any threatening ballistics with interceptor missiles. And even if we could bomb it from orbit, there wouldn't be any guarantee that Spyglass was dead. For all we know, he could survive and then we'd be back here in another few years trying to stop him again."

He pulled out the black cylinder that had pulled him into the mess in the first place. "The only way we can be certain is if we use the Cinder on him. Carson said it will emit some kind of signal, maybe something like an EMP that will hijack and disrupt any frequencies being broadcast in its immediate vicinity. That should take care of his control over the nanites- but he also said it's got one use, so we're going to have to get up close and personal with our least-favorite AI to be sure. That means being on the ground and surviving the initial onslaught of his forces upon our arrival."

Another batch of explosions rocked the ship, and Tobias' mouth tightened in a thin line. "That's assuming that we hold out long enough to survive _this_ onslaught. If I get another update on the situation, I'll let you all know so we can plan accordingly. Dismissed."

Not much was said after that as the Riflemen and Pilots came to terms with the harsh reality of their predicament. KT watched as they scattered about the hangar, seemingly waiting with bated breath for either their hour of action or unexpected death via destruction of the _Inferno._ She wished she could offer some sort of reassurance, but she was just as anxious as they were-

"Kay? I need to see you for a moment."

Her focus shifted to Tobias as he gestured for her to come over. Unsure of what this was about, she obediently approached him.

He gave a deep sigh, evidently uncomfortable with the discussion he had planned. "Are you alright?"

She titled her head, trying to feign ignorance. "Why wouldn't I be? Is this about last night?"

"No, _no-_ this has nothing to do with last night," he dismissed, eyeing her warily. Apparently, her attempt to mislead him had not gone unnoticed. "I saw what happened during the briefing. You're getting better at handling it yourself- but are you up to the job?"

She crossed her arms, almost affronted that he would voice his concern so openly even if she'd been wondering about it herself. "You've never doubted my ability in a mission before, why are you starting now?"

"You never had an evil twin before- sorry, bad joke. You get my point, though."

That certainly felt like a punch to the gut- or it would, if she had any guts. "You told me you trusted me," she replied coolly, though she felt more hurt than offended now. "I thought- well, maybe it was too much to hope for." It was hard to mask the painful effect his words had on her.

"Damn it Kay, that's not it," he shot back fiercely- far more fiercely than she'd been expecting. "I don't want to- if it came down to it- I don't want to make that choice-"

"What are you talking about?" she asked quietly, her emotions giving way to bewilderment.

His shoulder slumped very suddenly, the stress and tension he held all too blatant in his body language now. He was barely holding it together as it was, and this conversation was pushing him over. "Barker asked me what I'd do if you were to turn on us- if I'd be able to … stop you."

She had a feeling that 'stop' wasn't the word the Captain had used. Shamefully, he looked away from her.

"The truth is, I don't know. I don't know if I could do it, and … I don't want to have to find out."

Realization hit her like a sack of bricks. It wasn't that he didn't trust her on the ground- he didn't want her to be put in a position where he might have to … _end_ her.

Without warning him, she reached forward to his side where he kept his Wingman and pulled it out of its holster.

His gaze snapped to her with alarm present on his face. "What are you-"

Gripping the barrel, she grabbed his hand and placed it on the handle before lifting the barrel up to her chest. The truth was that she felt far more nervous than she let on in such a state of vulnerability- but she refused to let what might happen haunt him for the rest of his life.

"Tobias, you should know me better than that. If I was a threat to the mission- if I was ever a threat to _you-_ I'd _want_ you to kill me."

He stood there still as a statue, the only reaction that seemed appropriate to such a request.

She nodded to confirm what he'd just heard in case he was having trouble processing it. "You know what he's done to me, what he's turned me into. You've seen how he uses others- their bodies, their minds- to further his own goals. Please … don't let me be another puppet for his to control. Promise me."

"Kay, I-"

"Promise me."

The few seconds that passed in silence between them seemed to stretch out into an eternity, but there did come a point where he finally lowered the gun and replaced it in its holster. Swallowing hard, he gave her a quick nod.

"I … I promise."

Her concerns now at ease, she returned his nod. "Thank you."

The moment was short-lived as suddenly one of the riflemen near the shield doors looked out into space and began to gesticulate wildly. "Holy crap, check it out!"

Their attention now shifted to the matter of interest at hand, and everyone began to crowd around the shield doors as they could see faint glows in the distance … the tell-tale signs of a successful FTL warp.

"Holy shit," whispered Gates, "it's the civilian fleet."

Though her declaration's obviousness was not lost on the crew, it was a sentiment shared amongst the group at large. Pinpricks of light began to increase in rapid fashion until the void was filled with flashes of ship after ship arriving in Regis space.

"Goddamn," called one of the Pilots, "there must be thousands of them!"

 _Could we flood their sensors with ships?_

 _Can't we just nuke the damn place?_

 _There must be thousands of them!_

In an instant, several components of a new plan began to take shape in Tobias' mind, and he slowly turned to the company around him.

"Everyone, back to the terminal. I think I've got something that just might work."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Sorry for the delay, told you updates might be a bit sparse.**_

 ** _As a note to you all, I will likely be moving to post solely on Wattpad for any future stories, as I'm very tired of dealing with the ridiculous amounts of censorship that ff net has implemented in terms to external links and certain words. Not to mention that their support team is utterly and completely incompetent at their job._**

 ** _Be sure to look me up on Wattpad for stories in the future, though any current ones on this site will be filled to completion here._**

 _ **Until the next time,**_

 _ **\- Matteoarts**_


	29. Blockade Runners

"You want us to _what?"_

" _You heard me, captain. None of our frigates can get close until those MAC guns are offline, and this is our best shot we've got at disabling them."_

Captain Helen McIntyre had gone through quite the plethora of experiences during her time as leader of Harmony's Aerial branch, the 'Wings'; she'd been there to help evacuation efforts when they were awaiting an attack from Typhon's fold weapon, she'd fought in orbit when the Amalgamation had made its final way to her home … but what the Embers' commander was suggesting was approaching insanity.

"Are we even sure such a maneuver would work?"

" _It was Four who suggested it to my special tactics officer, and she seems to agree that it will."_

Of course she knew who Four was, he'd been the one who'd convinced her and the rest of the civilian fleets to overthrow security on each of their worlds and hijack what ships they could to bring to the fight. But being a good Titan Pilot didn't mean he was an expert in naval warfare. "You trust their assessments?"

" _With my life."_

"If you're wrong, it won't just be your life you're gambling," she scolded warningly, her thoughts on the wellbeing of all her crew. Unfortunately, he was right in saying that they didn't have many options at their disposal. There was no indication that this 'Coalescence' event was ready yet, but the fleets would continue to be fired upon until either it was or they retreated. Neither was too enticing of an option to consider.

The comm stayed silent, the man on the other end allowing her a few moments to come to the realization that there really was no choice here. With a sigh that begged for forgiveness from those she was sure would not be returning from this trip, she opened it back up.

"Very well, Captain Taube. I'll scramble our fighters; our Hornets are now yours."

" _Thank you, Captain McIntyre. We'll make sure their sacrifices are worth it."_

"You damn well better," she couldn't help but add before cutting the line. She knew that these were desperate measures- but perhaps it would be that kind of shrewdness that ensured their survival as a species.

In any matter, she was simply grateful to not have to be the one to make the call.

…

The rattling of a dropship as it sped around was not something Gates had ever been, or ever _would_ be, particularly fond of. For all the skill and prowess a Pilot brought to a battlefield, all of it was null and void in the air. All one could do was hope that their pilot was a damn good one, and wait out the trip.

Her fear of such experiences was only magnified upon learning that, according to this plan, she wouldn't even be allowed that increasingly appealing alternative- instead, she'd be subjected to the protective shell of a tin-can _inside_ a tin-can, so to speak.

Unfortunately, this would be the easy part.

"You know, I always thought Four would get us killed one day- I just didn't think it'd be so direct," Davis muttered with an ever-present sardonic taint to his words. He sat next to her in the passenger's seat, fiddling with the stock of his Spitfire. He was used to lighter weapons, but this particular mission would require as many bullets with a punch as they could manage.

"It's nice to hear you crack a joke again," she said, turning to look at him. It was odd to see him in Pilot armor again, just as it had been odd to wear it herself. Their objectives had mostly been reconnaissance and infiltration for the last year or so- nothing quite so forward as this. But while it may have seemed unusual, she'd have been lying if she hadn't said it felt natural to slip back into the suit.

"Not many things to laugh about these days," he replied evasively, staring forward. "Figured I might as well get at least a few chuckles out if I'm gonna die."

"You Pilots are a cheerful bunch, huh?" muttered Sergeant Perez, the rifleman sitting behind them, frowning as he did so.

Any other day, she'd have agreed with Perez; she would have said something encouraging, would have assured them that they weren't going to meet such a fate.

But she didn't feel like lying right now.

" _Wolf-Spider units, this is your escort; the WOH has your back. Ready when you are."_

" _Copy. Red-Team, acknowledge status."_

" _Red-1, standing by. Ground team?"_

Gates quickly made sure Perez and the group behind the three of them were prepared as well, then thumbed her comlink. "This is Red-1 ground, ready and waiting."

" _Copy that."_

" _Red-2, standing by. Check in, ground team."_

" _Red-2 ground, ready to go."_

" _Red-3, standing by …"_

She switched off the receiver momentarily, turning to Davis as she did so. "Hey."

He returned her gaze questioningly. "Yeah?"

"Just wanted to say that … well, it's been an honor. I know you and I have had lots of friction in the past, but-"

He waved her indirect apology aside. "Oh please, it wouldn't have been nearly as fun if you and I had gotten along the whole time."

"Smartass," she muttered, rolling her eyes; but it was with humor that she did so. "In any case, I'm proud of you."

"The feeling's mutual, El. Hope to see you on the other side."

She nodded, and turned the comlink on once more.

"… _standing by."_

" _WOH, the light is green. All Wolf-Spiders are prepped and ready."_

" _Copy that, Red-1. Awaiting orders from Captain Taube, stand by."_

…

Barker gazed upon the massive battle-scape before him. He watched both the enemy and allies trade fire in the form of streaks of light, their ammunition contrasting too much against the harsh pitch of space to recognize the missiles and cannon rounds as anything else.

"Sir, Red-Team and the WOH are awaiting your word."

He nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Are the decoys ready?"

"Civilian shuttles have indicated so, yes."

Though he was excited at the opportunity that the result of this plan would bring them, regret was no absent from the emotions he felt at carrying it out. The cost had been minimized, only a pilot to each shuttle- but each was still a life guaranteed to be lost. If this tactic didn't work, they'd be down resources, people … and more than likely any hope for a future.

His jaw tightened. The price would be high, but not higher than failure. "Do it."

The communications officer turned back to their console. "Civilian shuttles, launch! Godspeed."

" _Roger that, be sure to give our regards to Spyglass!"_

Barker looked out the window again to see small, grey-colored specks begin to flood out from the civilian fleet. The Embers couldn't have afforded to waste any militant based resources in such a plan- but the civilians had more than enough ships, and few enough combative advantages to warrant them perfect for such a task.

Made it hard not to think of them as fodder, though.

"Launch the missiles."

…

Nearly one-hundred and fifty civilian shuttles quickly converged on a shared course, grouping together to appear as one larger target.

" _Alright, form up people! You know your positions!"_

Slowly, the sides of the massive congregation began to trail backwards, shielding their rear center from harm in a sort of dome-like shape. They continued forward at a moderate pace, mostly ignored by the orbital defenses due to their small size for targeting and lack of apparent threat so far.

That was about to change.

" _Where are the nukes?"_

On cue, a burst of light could be seen firing from the frigate behind them before it began to race ahead through the dark void to meet them.

" _Confirmed, the EOS Inferno has launched the package! All shuttles, full speed ahead!"_

As one, every ship ignited its thrusters and streaked forward towards their target; a MAC platform hovering north of the equatorial divide, one of which quickly took notice and alerted the cruisers surrounding it. It was barely thirty seconds before the first shells hit them, tearing through their ranks and eliminating lines of shuttles at a time.

" _Hold the line! Do not evade, push on!"_

They were halfway to the target now, and already they'd lost a substantial amount of ships. Every pilot watched out of the peripherals of their view-screens as orange flowers blossomed from the cockpits of their neighbors, accelerated rounds sometimes taking two or three shuttles at a time as they tore through the dome.

One bomb caught a shuttle at such speed that it simply wrenched it in half, each piece was sent careening off into other columns and inflicting even more damage as they swerved to avoid or were subsequently destroyed alongside it. Rapidly, the 'shield' of their dome was losing size and efficiency. Still, they pressed forward- retreat at this stage would certainly mean failure, and dishonor to those who had given their lives for them to make it this far.

" _Almost ther-"_

The comm abruptly cut out, only to be accompanied by the sight of a shuttle in front exploding and sending its hull debris flying in every which direction. A new voice sprang up after a moment, " _We're almost there! Prepare to peel off!"_

The orbital defense ships began to fire more desperately, almost shifting their entire focus onto the group as they ignored the rest of the fleets' frigates and bombardments, willingly taking critical damage in an effort to stop what they quickly were realizing was the true threat.

500 meters.

300 meters.

100 meters.

" _It's out of their targeting range, now get the hell out of here!"_

Inward and outward, the seventeen surviving ships turned about with the appearance of a massive, metallic jelly-fish and quickly sped away at the maximum limit. In their wake, they left behind a cluster of nuclear warheads which in turn split apart and sought out victims to unleash themselves against. Several set their sights on the nearby ships while the rest zeroed in on the MAC platform.

Within seconds, the area was composed entirely of white as the light from the detonations became blinding. The shuttles barely managed to outrace the initial blast, but were knocked off-course by the following shockwave which quickly dissipated in the vacuum of space.

Slowly, the light faded away and revealed the carnage; everything in the immediate vicinity had been almost obliterated, with the exception of some outlying ships' debris which caused even more chaos by spinning out and into other cruisers close to them.

" _MAC station is down, you are clear! I repeat, WOH and Red-Team you are clear!"_

…

"… _Red-Team, you are clear!"_

" _Copy that, all wings form up on me. Protect the Wolf-Spiders at all costs!"_

" _Red-1 here, let's kick some ass! All ships, launch!"_

Gates gave a small gasp as the lurch of the ship caught her by surprise, groaning anxiously as she whispered prayer after prayer to whatever deities watched from above that she and Davis _not_ be blown immediately out into space due to what came next.

"Never took you for a religious woman, Captain."

She glared daggers at Perez. "Never was, but I don't think taking a chance on being wrong hurts our odds of survival."

The Wolf-Spiders were probably the largest non-frigate class ships used in warfare. While they lacked any great ability to defend themselves, their primary purpose wasn't combative- their flattened shape with an interior designed solely to transport and deliver consignments quickly to the ground from within the hook-like walls of their cargo-bays made them perfect for hastily resupplying ground forces when enemy lines made other methods too difficult.

But their purpose had been twisted somewhat creatively with the new plan. This wasn't a supply-run; it was a deployment.

Exiting the hangar, the Wolf-Spiders of Red-Team made them stand out as targets even with the current absence of a MAC station on their current course. As they began weaving around to avoid being hit, the WOH squadron of Hornet aerospace fighters moved in to assist.

Small fighters launched from the closest enemy cruisers as they moved to close the gap left behind by the nukes. Trying to stave off that eventuality as long as possible, the Hornets made it their job to either take them out or shield Red-Team with their own ships to ensure that the Wolf-Spiders broke through the blockade.

Concussive waves from the rounds that made it through and ate away at the shields rocked the ship, causing Gates to tense up and inhale sharply each time they increased in severity.

" _This is Red-9, we've sustained critical damage! Going down, repeat, go-"_

A split second of white noise filled the comm before it fell silent, giving her a feeling not unlike a block of lead finding its way into the bottom of her gut.

" _Red-11 here, we've been hit bad! Give us some more cover!"_

" _Red-11, look for an opening and break off-"_

" _Negative, Red-1! We can still fly, we're gonna get these people on the ground. Might make the return trip a bit difficult, though."_

Silently, Gates thanked the pilot for his bravery- they'd need every last troop on the ground to complete the next stage of their plan, and they were cutting it close as it was.

" _Red-1 to WOH, Red-Team has cleared the blockade. Entering atmosphere. Thanks for the help, wing-leader!"_

" _Copy that, stay safe. Have fun down there!"_

"I think those two choices are mutually exclusive," Davis remarked dryly next to her. She offered no response- she was just happy to have made it through at all.

The creaking of the ship around them grew louder as they left vacuum, the air around the ship creating resistance as it screamed downward through the sky. As it began to even out, she felt the pull of gravity replace the sensation of weightlessness that had been present in the cargo bay the rest of the trip's duration. Finally, the Wolf-Spider's angle was parallel to the ground and its speed began to decrease in preparation for what was about to follow.

" _AA guns are locking onto us! Ground team, disengage safety clamps!"_

Reaching up, Gates found the lever which, upon being pulled, released the metallic clamps around all four tires of the 'Gremlin' assault car they sat in. She could hear a similar sound of machinery from the 'Samson' transport vehicle behind them, indicating that its six airless tires were now free to spin on their own accord.

Reaching forward, she thumbed the ignition while noting the display indicating that the car had come to life and was ready to move. She placed both hands on the wheel and exhaled deeply, steadying her nerves and diverting all of her concentration to the job at hand.

" _Wolf-Spiders, spread out! Ground team, we are three kilometers out from target, prepare to drop in five … four … three … two …"_

With a loud, high pitched whine that signaled the cargo-bay's floor splitting apart as the doors opened into two halves, Gates, Davis, and Perez had half a second to watch before the Gremlin began to fall.

Slamming her foot into the gas pedal, the tires quickly spun up in the air to match their forward velocity. Gates felt like they were dropping in slow motion as she watched the grassy ground rise up to meet them …

 _WHAM!_

Their bodies jerking forward from the sudden transference of momentum, Gates and Davis quickly readjusted and checked themselves. The landing certainly wasn't soft, but it had been as smooth as one could hope for considering what they'd just accomplished.

The wheels adapted to the new medium fairly quickly as they'd already been rotating when they'd made contact, and the Gremlin sped ahead without complications. Davis turned to look behind them to make sure that the Samson had similarly succeeded, and was relieved to find that it was following steadily after them.

To their left, they watched as a Wolf-Spider attempted to drop its cargo a half second before an anti-air round engulfed its right side in flames, and the ship dropped like a rock. The sound of metal and machinery pulling itself apart hid any screams that may have cried out from the occupants that had been inside. Miraculously, it appeared that a Samson had managed to drop before the missile impact, and actually landed reasonably intact despite its carrier's decimation. It sped away from the wreckage behind it and rejoined with the main group.

Davis looked to his right and saw Red-11, the only ship with smoke trailing heavily from its thrusters as it struggled to keep itself in the air. Even from here, the damage to its hull was apparent. But true to its word earlier, the group of vehicles inside made it to the ground without issue. The same could not be said for it as the billowing black smoke made it a rather obvious target, and as it tried to pull up it was subsequently blown apart by another missile.

He tried not to cry out in shock, and instead opened his comlink. "This is Red-1, tell all Wolf-Spiders to get out of here! Those AA guns will tear you apart!"

" _Copy that, Red-1. We'll regroup with the fleet and bring reinforcements ASAP. Good hunting!"_

In one uniform formation, the rest of the Wolf-Spiders slowly pulled away and up into the sky back towards the battle above. A few stray missiles were sent their way, but none made contact. Gates looked ahead at their target- a large compound which had been identified as the control station for all orbital MAC platforms. She could identify several large turrets off the bat, likely the very AA guns which had driven off their ships.

"Red-1 to all ground forces!" she yelled over the comms, "We're one kilometer and closing to the compound, be aware of turret defenses! It's unlikely they can hit us at this range, but-"

Her point was accentuated by the shriek of a missile as it impacted directly in front of a Gremlin in their convoy, causing the vehicle to flip in the air and come crashing down with a gut-wrenching cacophony of smashed metal.

"Evasive maneuvers!" she ordered, stepping even further on the pedal.

Each of the thirty cars or so continued to push forward, but in serpentine patterns when they could. Looking out the left and right, she could see and hear several more impacts in the ground, though thankfully it seemed as though their dodging was working for the time being.

In the backseat, Perez quickly stood up and poked his upper body out through the hole in the roof. Grabbing the handles of the mounted machine-gun atop it, he took aim at the offending turrets in the distance and opened fire, whooping loudly in conjunction with the ramping up of the gun's barrel. To their sides, other groups began to do the same, opening fire on the base while simultaneously trying not to be hit themselves.

As another round detonated far too close to them for Gates' comfort, Davis turned to her and spoke in a way that just made her _know_ he was grinning stupidly under that helmet.

"Well, this sure as hell isn't safe- but it's kind of fun!"

" _Shut it, Davis!"_

* * *

 ** _A_ _/N: As always, please leave a review to show your appreciation and thoughts, it certainly helps my motivation process to know people are still interested and reading._**

 ** _Until the next time,_**

 ** _\- Matteoarts_**


	30. According to Plan

Maneuvering the Spitfire around to fit where he intended it to, Davis swung the stock into the glass of the Gremlin's window, smashing it open and allowing a torrent of air to rush into the car as they continued to speed towards the compound. Flipping it around once more, he poked the barrel out of the newly made orifice and opened fire.

At this range, Gates was doubtful he'd hit anything, especially with the recoil of the LMG; but with how deep the ammo reserves were on that thing, there wasn't any harm in hoping a stray round or two caught something important.

Perez yelled out again, his voice rising as he kept the turret firing. Another wave of bullets peppered the outside of their car, Gates and Davis instinctively ducking down at the noise- but the Sergeant refused to yield, simply spraying and hoping he didn't run out of ammunition at this point. Especially this close-

She saw the sudden incoming missile far too late, and tried to turn. As the tires slid against the red grass of the fields they drove through, she cried out, "BRACE!"

A moment later, the projectile impacted against the ground on the side of the Gremlin. Lifting the car into the air, all three occupants felt the telltale sign of freefall in their gut as they were promptly sent rolling up … and then came crashing back down.

The sudden cessation of momentum snapped Gates' head forward onto the steering wheel, and she yelped in pain. For a few seconds, her vision was bleary- then, everything began to come back into focus.

The Gremlin was now upside down, and gravity was taking its toll- both she and Davis were now lying against the roof of the car, their shoulder blades bearing most of their weight. Pulling her legs out from the pedal area, she retracted them down to her and then adjusted herself so that she was upright once more. Davis mirrored her action, then turned to look at the backseat where the turret had been.

"Perez? You okay?"

"I've been better," grunted the rifleman, shifting his weight so that he too now laid against the ceiling-turned-floor of the Gremlin. Gates gave a sigh of relief, having feared that the grunt would have been far less fortunate with his position than he had been.

"C'mon," she ordered, crawling through the shards of broken glass and metal fragments that littered the interior. Davis' side of the car was nearly completely crushed, but hers had been more fortunate- the door's window frame had been relatively undamaged, and it didn't take much effort to shatter the weakened glass of it to create an escape opening.

Dragging herself out into the light, she kept herself crouched behind the cover of the car as she looked out to see the status of the compound and the other teams. She could see the many parked Gremlins and Samsons, the massive hole in the front gate as they'd blown it open, and she could hear the sounds of gunfire from here.

"This is Red-1, what's our status Red-Team?"

" _Red-5 here, we've moved on the facility! Assaulting the control room now!"_

"Copy that, we'll be there ASAP." Turning to look at the other two occupants of the Gremlin as they crawled out of the wreckage, she retrieved her R-201 from her back and flashed a wolf's grin that they couldn't see so much as _feel_ it under her helmet.

"You wanted fun, Davis? Better hurry, or we'll miss it!"

…

Vale stared blankly at the many monitors around the hangar showcasing the battle as it progressed. Both the _IMS Nautilus_ and the _MCS Unforeseen_ had been destroyed, and the _IMS Persephone_ and _EOS Marcus Graves_ were on their way out if they didn't get more covering fire soon.

The feeling of being helpless, unable to do anything as you watched those you cared about be ripped away- it wasn't an unfamiliar experience for her.

"You look like you've had better days."

She chuckled weakly. "No, I'm just peachy- after all, I should be used to impossible odds at this point, right?"

Tobias ignored her somewhat macabre joke. "What's wrong?"

"Other than the hundreds who've died already and the billions that hang in the balance?" she tried again, though even she could hear the snippiness in her tone as she said it. "Nothing, in that case."

"Amelia."

He'd never used her first name before- though not for lack of knowing it, of course. If that didn't tell her outright that she'd crossed a line, she didn't know what would. But when she turned around to apologize, she didn't find him angry- just tired. He seemed to be splitting apart at the seams just as much as she was.

It was that expression which finally convinced her to cave in. "I just … I miss Tyra."

He nodded understandingly. "Yeah. I miss her too."

"I keep finding myself wanting to make remarks to her, to ask her how she thinks everything's going, to crack a _joke-_ only to realize that she's not here, and I can't do any of those things anymore."

Tobias swallowed hard. "I know the feeling."

She sighed softly, and crossed her arms with a metallic _clink._ "She was only the first, and I'm still paying for it four years later. How many more are we going to lose today? Who are we going to keep remembering years down the road, wishing we could forget? You? Me? Gates? All of us? I just …"

"I'm having the same thoughts," he admitted, mirroring her stance with the crossed arms. "I don't expect to make it out of this one."

She couldn't help but feel amused at that. "You? But you're Tobias Four, the man who seems to survive everything- whether out of skill or extreme luck, I haven't the slightest."

He shook his head slowly. "Well, I think that luck's about to run out- maybe it already has. I don't know." He faced her. "What I do know is that I don't want to focus on what comes after- just what's happening now. If I die … I just want to make my memory worth something. Make it something to be proud of- like Tyra did."

Vale considered that. "Maybe that's all we really _can_ do."

Together, they stood in silence until a loudspeaker suddenly came to life and began to bark orders.

" _Green-Team, report to your stations! Prepare for deployment!"_

She opened up her comlink to the rest of her squad. "Just got the call, I'll meet you guys down there in two."

" _Sounds like a plan."_

" _Copy that."_

She turned it back off and looked at Tobias. "Well … guess I'll see you down there."

He held his hand out to her, an offer which she accepted warmly. "Stay safe, okay?"

"You know me," she replied with a chortle as she turned and began to run. "No promises!"

Exiting the hangar, she raced to the flight of stairs which would take her to the lower decks. Other Pilots crowded around her, all trying to reach their stations in time. Like a group of lemmings, they poured out onto the deck and coordinated to find their assigned spots. She spied an easily recognizable squad of Pilots a ways away, and moved to greet them.

"Was wondering when you'd show up," Rose called to her jokingly.

"Needed a bit of a pep talk," she replied, not quite in as humorous of a mood. She turned to look at his Titan, a gray and orange Northstar. "Hey, Thorn."

"Hello, Pilot Vale," he greeted her in a low voice, "It is good to see you."

Buck took a few steps toward her, trying to get a read on her. "You okay, Amelia?"

She nodded. "I'll be a hell of a lot better once Spyglass is scrap- but yeah, I'm ready."

He gave a simple nod, and then turned to walk to his own Titan. The bright, white Prime Northstar awaited him with an open hatch, eager to get to work. He wasted no time in hopping in and checking her systems.

"How is Amelia doing?" she asked.

"She'll be fine, Eve," he assured her. "Are we online?"

"Affirmative," EV confirmed, "all systems are green- awaiting orders."

He'd have given a sigh to steady his nerves if he still had lungs- as it was, he opted to simply remain in the cockpit and try to still himself as best he could.

…

With one final burst of gunfire, the last stalker fell. Davis blew on the hot barrel of the Spitfire, dissipating the heat. Looking down, he saw something that caught his eye.

Gates stepped forward just in time to see him wrench the L-STAR from the dead stalker's hand, and heft it up comfortably while replacing the Spitfire on his back. He glanced at her and nodded happily.

Ignoring his exchange of weaponry, she walked through the control room as several other riflemen and two Pilots followed her.

"Someone get me access to the MAC defenses from here," she ordered. One of the grunts, apparently an engineer, quickly moved to obey. Pulling out a data-knife, he stuck it in a compatible port and began to search through the many systems tied to the compound.

"Whoa, I've got it," he called out unexpectedly.

"Already?"

"Yes ma'am," he confirmed, squinting to look at the screen more closely. "All orbital stations targeting OS's can be accessed from here."

"Seems awfully easy- not to mention convenient," Davis surmised, looking around the room suspiciously for an impending ambush.

"It's weird- there was so little security involved. Maybe Spyglass didn't think anyone would actually make it to the ground?"

"It'd certainly match his arrogance," Gates muttered. "We'll worry about it later. Can we shut them down from here?"

"Yes ma'am!"

"Do it."

He began to input lines of code into the computer, remaining completely silent as he did so. Davis kept an eye on their surroundings while the rifleman worked, still unsure of the situation's legitimacy.

"And … there! The MAC guns are inoperable!"

Gates wasted no time in opening up her comlink. "Embers Fleet, this is Red-Team! The objective is complete, the MAC stations are offline! I repeat, the MAC stations are offline!"

…

"… _the MAC stations are offline!"_

Barker heard the declaration even before the communications officer called it out to confirm it. He let out an involuntary sigh of relief before unclipping the flask at his hip and taking a quick celebratory swig.

He'd sacrificed a lot of people to get them this far- he hoped it had been worth it.

"Prepare Green-Team for deployment."

…

The comlink crackled to life from within EV, something which was apparently shared across the entire fall-deck; very quickly, everyone fell silent as they strained to hear their next orders.

"… _Green-Team, standby for Titanfall."_

A massive lurch in the ship's trajectory could be felt through the hull, and a raucous cheer sprang up from every corner of the room as the Pilots prepared for the next stage of the plan.

EV's hatch closed, and he felt his link with her stabilize as their separate nervous systems became one; he felt what she felt. The ocular systems engaged, allowing him to see what she saw. And their minds became connected, allowing them to know each other's thoughts.

A whirr of machinery behind them alerted him to the presence of the ceiling's safety clamps as it grabbed EV's arms and maneuvered her over to the correct drop chute. The door remained closed for now, but that was about to change.

" _Man, it's been far too long since we've had one of these!"_

Buck gave a small chuckle. "Save your excitement for the enemy, Rose- I'm sure they'll be pretty happy to see you."

" _Copy that, sir."_

One by one, rows of Titans were given the green light to drop. He watched intently as the one in front of him slowly ticked down the seconds.

 _Five._

 _Four._

 _Three._

 _Two._

With a loud blaring hum, the light turned green and he disengaged the clamps.

The chute provided a bit of additional thrust power to launch them at their target- while the fleet was now far closer with relatively more confidence in their engagements with the enemy cruisers, they were still technically in vacuum- just outside Regis' atmosphere.

Looking around at the other Titans falling, he noted with shock that some of them were being targeted by the aforementioned enemy ships. Small pinpricks of light could be seen igniting and immediately extinguishing as the void swallowed them up. He couldn't do much except hold on tight and pray that it didn't happen to him or the others.

Finally, he heard the whistling of air as it was parted by EV's rapidly descending chassis. The other Titans had similar effects, their bodies practically screaming through the air as they approached the ground.

" _Cedric, prepare for landing in five … four … three …"_

He tuned out EV's voice as he watched the ground race up to meet them, a landscape full of red fields and plains as well as a thick forest of pink-leafed far ahead of them. If their mission wasn't so dire, he might have reflected on the stunning beauty of it.

Bending his legs to absorb the impact, Buck felt them finally transfer their momentum into the dirt with a booming _WHAM._ Using his right arm to brace EV's body as it pitched forward from the sudden stop, their movement finally came to a halt.

Standing up, he rotated around to look at the other Titans for signs of his squad; he spotted Thorn and Skids several meters away, similarly attempting to find each other in the crowd of mechanized warriors.

"Vale, Rose, report!" he called out.

" _All good here."_

" _Same, I'm fine."_

He thanked whatever forces above he could for sparing them from the grisly fate of being blown apart before landing like the unfortunate casualties they'd suffered on the way down-

" _Green-7 to Green-1, we've got enemy forces inbound on our location!"_

Buck quickly snapped his attention to the direction which Green-7 had indicated the movement was coming from- sure enough, he could spy several waves of riflemen and Titans approaching from the tree-line, each of them sporting the disturbing glow effect in either their eyes or their optics that signified their status as early victims of the Coalescence.

Reaching around with his arm to retrieve the railgun from EV's back, he shifted their weight forward and raised the massive cannon-like weapon up in preparation for the brawl ahead of them.

Next to him, Thorn performed the same sort of action while Skids pulled a much thinner sword than standard-issue Ronins out and held it pointed towards their foes.

" _Think they know we're here?"_

"… Yeah, Rose. I think they know we're here."


	31. Clockwork

" _Blue-Team, you are cleared for departure."_

"Copy that," Tobias replied, switching his comm channel to an open broadcast. "This is Blue-1, we're green for takeoff! Go, go!"

As one, the many Goblin dropships belonging to Blue-Team began to rise into the air of the hangar. With the shield doors lowered, they boosted out into space and set their sights on Regis, the large planet now looming before them in much closer proximity thanks to the efforts of Red-Team.

New Humanity cruisers and frigates were still putting up a heavy fight to keep Embers ships from getting through- thankfully, the civilian ships were occupying most of their attention to keep fire off of the main fleet. Small ships- like the Goblins they now were riding in on- seemed to be ignored in favor of large scale targets.

"Approaching atmosphere now, sir," called the pilot up front, turning her head slightly behind to help her voice carry to the drop-bay. "You might want to hang onto something!"

True to her word, the metallic sides of the dropship began to rattle as they battled with the growing resistance that a firmament provided. He glanced around the room at KT and the other soldiers that made up the squad of Blue-1; three riflemen and a Pilot. Kay's aptly colored visor noticed the movement and matched it to meet his gaze.

"Been a while since we lead a task force, huh?"

He gave her an anxious grin, the most it seemed his face was willing to provide. "I only remember one of us doing any leading."

She shrugged. "As a Titan, my body was your body. Therefore, I helped lead."

He raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Can't exactly argue with that logic …"

She hummed playfully. "I'm sure you'd still find some way to try-"

A loud boom suddenly rang out seemingly next to the ship, and a thorough shaking of the dropship immediately followed it. As it quickly became too unstable to stand properly, his hand shot out and grabbed one of the safety handles hanging from the roof as the grunts followed suit. Kay, for her part, seemed to actually be balancing rather well without the need for a handhold, though she darted her gaze around nervously just as much as they did.

"What the hell was that?" cried out one of the riflemen, looking to the pilot up front for answers.

"AA fire, we're getting hammered hard!" she yelled, yanking the stick sharply to avoid getting hit from another barrage. "It's getting worse the closer we get to those production sites!"

" _Blue-16 just took a nosedive! They just-"_

A resounding explosion echoed throughout the area as a massive pyre of flames blossomed from the wreckage of what was presumably Blue-16 after it had crashed into the thick forest below them.

Tobias grimaced, but he called out to the pilot all the same, "We're too far to turn back now- keep going!"

"Yes, sir!"

He opened up his comlink again. "Blue-1 to all ships, continue to advance! Green Team's depending on our arrival!"

" _Copy that!"_

" _Understood. Pressing forward-"_

" _Holy shit, INCOMING! EVASIVE MANEUV-"_

The sky lit up as dozens of missiles tore through the ranks of the dropships simultaneously. Tobias looked out the side-window in horror as he watched two, then three, then four ships crumple in mid-air from the impacts and begin to fall towards the-

 _KER-SCREE-_

The screech of metal against metal became intensely loud as their left wing was hit and it proceeded to wrench itself off and away from the rest of the Goblin. The shift in aerodynamic balance caused an immediate drop in altitude as the main body of the ship swung downward towards the trees.

With a startled shout, Tobias felt himself slam into the side of the bay along with the other squad members and KT, unable to counter this magnitude of g-force. The pilot struggled to retain control and screamed, "BRACE!"

One final ripping shriek of metal was the last thing he heard before everything went black.

…

"Lock and load, people! Let's go!"

Gray and Fallon waved the rest of their squad off of the dropship's ramp and onto the ground a meter below. Following their team's example, they jumped as well and bent their knees as their boots absorbed the impact and crushed the vibrant amaranth-colored grass beneath them. Looking up from this edge of the forest, they saw that the leaves of the trees shared the same pinkish-red coloration.

"Pretty," Fallon commented rather disbelievingly, as though he couldn't grasp such a beautiful sight to be associated with the destructive nature of Spyglass's operations. His calm trance was promptly interrupted by sounds of nearby gunfire.

"Not the time, Dean!" Gray called out, and he hastily readied his weapon. Other squads moved alongside them as the Goblins lifted off again, adding their firepower to the mix and attempting to provide aerial support. Their target was the massive production facility ahead; the jaw-dropping wildlife had been converted to gray stone and concrete as the base stretched on for nearly a kilometer- and this was only one of three.

" _Blue-2, come in!"_

Fallon quickly checked the frequency number. "Reading you loud and clear, Blue-4."

" _Blue-1 hasn't checked in- their ship went down half a click behind us!"_

He was forced to put his shock on hold while he dodged a burst of hot plasma from a stalker's L-STAR. Once he saw another Pilot take it down, he reopened the comm channel. "Repeat that- did you say Blue-1?"

" _Affirmative- their wing was blown off by anti-air. Some of 'em might have survived, but it didn't look pretty."_

He let out a tired sigh, at a loss for the moment. "Shit. Stand by, Blue-4."

Turning to Gray, he saw her looking back at him. "You catch all that?"

"Yeah, and I don't like the sound of it," she admitted with concern. Stepping back for a moment, she gestured to the other squads and waved them forward again, pressing on the boundaries of the facility. He followed after her.

"Four didn't survive all the shit he did before just to die in a crash," he muttered, taking a glance back at the forest and coming to a decision. "You're gonna have to lead Blue by yourself- keep up the assault, I'm going to go back and look for survivors!"

"What?" she exclaimed. "We took heavy hits, we need all the support we can get-"

"You're not thinking about the bigger picture," he cut her off. "Four's the one carrying the Cinder- even if he's dead, we have to retrieve it or this will all be for nothing!"

Her grip tightened around her weapon handle as she frustratedly spat, "Shit!" Resignedly, she nodded her head in understanding. "Hurry up, then- I'll tell Green about our situation."

He wasted no time in turning around and opening a link to the fleet above them. " _Inferno_ ground control _,_ this is Pilot Dean Fallon- I need my Titan a bit earlier than expected. Transmitting coordinates now."

" _Roger that. Standby for titanfall."_

Looking high above them in the sky, Fallon watched as a streak of light began to curve downward, veering away from the heavy fire of the battle in orbit. It steadily grew brighter and bigger until one final flash signified the activation of the retro-thrusters that kept Titans from creating craters when they landed.

With a loud slam and grating of metal, a Tone now crouched before him and raised its optic up to meet his eyes. "Hello, Pilot."

"Good to see you too, KN," he greeted the Titan, and jumped forward for it to catch him and place him in its now open hull. "We need to hurry- a friend of ours crashed a ways back."

"Admiral Four? Is he alive?" it questioned in a baritone voice.

"I sure as hell hope so, buddy."

…

Gates was waiting for extraction with the rest of Red-Team near the large congregation of Gremlins and Samsons when she received the comm notification.

" _Green-1 to Red-1, come in Gates."_

She opened the channel. "This is Red-1, you're clear. What's the situation, Buck?"

" _We're- hold on."_

Through their radio connection, she heard the loud sounds of grinding metal as he presumably pummeled another Titan before returning his attention to her. _"As I was saying, we're moving up fine for the most part- we'll be at the east site in less than five minutes. What's the status of Red-Team?"_

"Most of us are here, resistance was lighter than expected. We're waiting on extraction from the orbital communications compound. Why?"

His voice sounded pained as he spoke the next part. _"Blue was hit hard as they tried to deploy. They lost half their ships in the drop … including Blue-1."_

She felt her voice hitch as she suddenly tried to form words, but couldn't. Davis, overhearing the exchange, noticed the lack of throat functionality from her, and stepped in. "Is Four alive?"

" _Unknown, Fallon is moving to check for him and the Cinder now. He's in a Titan, so it shouldn't be long- but that's not why I contacted you."_

"We're listening."

" _Blue-Team is still trying to fight their way through their production site to meet with us at the southmost target- but they're not nearly as efficient with only half their numbers. If Red is up for it, they could use the support."_

Davis was on it in an instant. "Perez, what's our distance to the production sites?"

The sergeant brought up a geographical display on his HUD. "About five klicks."

The Pilot nodded and returned his focus to the comms. "Alright, tell Blue to hang tight; we're on our way."

" _Copy that, see you then."_

With the link terminated, Davis began gesturing to the rest of Red-Team. "Perez, hail the _Byzantine_ and tell them we won't be extracting just yet. Everyone else, pile back in the cars! We're moving out to assist Blue!"

A chorus of 'affirmatives' and 'yes sir's' echoed as they began to coordinate their next step. Gates watched it all with interest, noting just how effective a leader he could be when he put his mind to it- a trait she hadn't seen often with him.

"You coming, El?"

She blinked a few times, having been drawn out of her stupor by the sound of Davis' voice as he looked curiously at her. Shakily, she nodded.

"Let's do this."

…

Something was pressing into his chest. It was heavy, and he could feel himself struggling to breath with it weighing down on him.

Opening his eyes dazedly, he saw what appeared to be a large chunk of metallic debris from the ship draped over his torso. Seeing the actual cause of his problems seemed to suddenly increase the level of discomfort he felt, and he groaned as pain began to spread through his body now that he was conscious.

Placing his hands on the one edge that he could manage to reach, he grunted as he began to lift it up and away from him. His arms shook with the effort, and he knew it wouldn't be long before they failed and it came down- with much harder force- right on top of him. Just before they did so, he used his thrusters to launch himself backwards and away from the metal as it slammed loudly into the dirt.

Coughing from the release of pressure on his lungs, he hastily tried to force air back into them. As he did so, he took a look around at their surroundings; many of the trees appeared to have broken some of the fall, but the dropship was still lying in several pieces that had been strewn about from the impact. He noted with greater sorrow that they were accompanied by what appeared to be the bodies of the rest of Blue-1; the riflemen and Pilot. The ship's pilot wasn't seen, but she'd likely still be stuck in the cockpit … wherever it'd landed.

He hadn't known their names- it seemed that this operation was going to leave behind a lot of unmarked graves. With some conviction, he hoped he'd be able to rectify that when this was all over- assuming he ever got the chance.

Hastily, he checked the pouches of his suit and reached into one to ensure that the object driving this whole thing forward was still in one piece-

With a sigh of relief, he pulled out the Cinder and saw that it was still intact. His fears assuaged, he replaced it in its assigned pouch, and stood up with one more thing to find.

"Kay!"

He hollered to the open air, but received no response. Worriedly, he scanned the pieces of wreckage in the near vicinity for a sign of her-

There! Over the crest of one rather hefty debris pile, he saw a sliver of familiar white metal as it disappeared behind the remains of the dropship again. Without hesitation, he ran after it and leapt over the pile to find Kay crawling on the ground weakly. Sliding into place next to her, he tried to help her up to her feet.

"Kay! You alright-?"

Unexpectedly, she shoved him away from her and he stumbled backwards in confusion as she fell back to the ground. He looked over her for signs of damage, but aside from a few scrapes and black marks that marred the otherwise pristine metal, she appeared to be fine-

"Go …" she urged with a growl, sounding as though she were fighting some unseen enemy. "I- I …."

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

He didn't realize- not yet. The crash had put her into recovery mode, knocked her offline- and now her mind was a free for all as each fragment vied to take control. She let out another moan of pain as the ringing voices in her head became louder, and louder …

 _He needs me! I have to be ready-_

 _I can fight this! I can fight-_

 _No, this isn't an enemy we're able of standing against! He's my priority, and I'll do whatever it takes to-_

 _I can't do that! He's not the only one at stake, billions are counting on us-_

 _ **Enough. It's clear that I must look at this from an objective perspective.**_

Her quaking stopped. She became mobile once more, standing up quickly and with purpose. Tobias watched her movements warily, unsure of what had just happened.

"The odds of success were already low- dangerously so. With the destruction of the MAC defenses and deployment of teams Red and Green, the chances increased- but that was quickly overtaken by the bombardment of Blue-Team," she observed concisely and monotonously, glancing around the forest as she took in more information.

He finally seemed to understand what had happened. "Athena?" He'd never spoken with this fragment, though Pietas had told him it was one of Spyglass's favorites. Though at least it didn't seem to be aggressive at the moment …

"Affirmative," she replied, turning back to him. "Blue-Team's forces were depleted by approximately fifty percent. Their likelihood of success in reaching the target is currently even lower than initial predictions. Moving forward with the plan would expectedly result in your death-"

"Kay, listen to me," he muttered cautiously, holding his hands out neutrally. "The odds aren't what matter right now-"

"Fragments Pietas, Virtus, and Themis would assist you with carrying out the operation," she continued, ignoring him, "thereby becoming partly responsible for your demise. Artemis would go against it, resulting in a far more favorable outcome where you live."

His eyes widened as he realized exactly what Athena had in mind. "Wait, don't-"

"Decision has been reached. Relinquishing control to Artemis."


	32. K Versus T

Fallon and KN tore up the grass and dirt as they ran; several tons of living metal in an all out sprint had a tendency to do that.

It was becoming a bit harder to navigate through the thicket of trees, but he tried to maintain their pace as best he could. Blue-Team would need all the help they could get, and every second spent out here was one wasted in helping them. He only hoped they could hold out long enough to clear a space for their Titans to drop- then they'd have a far better chance.

Thankfully, it seemed he'd reached his destination- metal debris and wreckage was scattered all over the surrounding area. A good portion of the downed dropship had actually been caught in the trees, and it didn't seem like it'd be going anywhere anytime soon.

"I know what I said earlier, but … I'm having second doubts about anyone surviving that crash," Fallon said grimly, swallowing hard.

" _Movement detected. FOF tags have marked it as friendly."_

"I stand corrected," he replied, immediately becoming more alert. "Where?"

His question didn't need answering as he plainly saw for himself in the next few seconds. Leaping out from behind the cover of a large tree, he saw Four as the Pilot fled from an unseen enemy. A moment later, his adversary revealed themselves to be none other than … a familiar white Simulacrum.

"Ah, shit. This isn't good."

…

Gray unleashed all one hundred and forty rounds of her predator cannon's magazine into the waves of stalkers, spectres, and infected riflemen. The latter weren't nearly as numerous as the previous two, but still present all the same. Pushing into the compound was becoming increasingly difficult as the resistance grew to match it.

" _Why do you continue to defy your fate?"_ they began to speak in unison, their voices joining to grow louder than the gunfire. _"I offer a future without pain, without war-"_

"And without choice," she retorted with a grunt through her Titan's voice box. "So I'm gonna take a pass on that one!"

Directing her Legion's aim forward, she spun up the cannon and blew a power shot right through the rows of enemies before her. Humans and automatons alike were blown apart from the spray of metal, and she waved her other team members forward.

Despite her bravado, she wasn't too hopeful for the near future, let alone the long-term one Spyglass was offering. Even after they'd called in their Titans, they were slipping in both advancement and numbers. Their opponents continued to replenish their ranks as they were gunned down, but the Pilots, Titans, and riflemen of Blue-Team didn't have that option. They were quickly being cut apart, and if help didn't get here soon-

" _This is Red-1 to Blue-2; the cavalry has arrived, I repeat, the cavalry has arrived!"_

She'd have recognized that wisecracking voice anywhere. Hope growing in her chest, she turned around to see a line of cars barreling towards them. As they came closer, the mounted machine guns atop them began to unload into their attackers and weakened the front phalanx of NH forces enough to drive across and cut off the gunfire by providing cover for the surviving members of Blue-Team.

"I knew you had a flair for the dramatic, Davis, but this is a bit much!" she called out while returning her focus to thinning the rows of targets behind the cars.

"Oh c'mon," she heard him say, and saw him approaching quickly with his gun drawn and Gates at his side. "You know you loved it!"

"At this point, I'd have loved if the _Apex_ _Predators_ came to our rescue, so long as it got the fire off my people," she muttered, popping open her Titan's hull and letting him go back to the fight while she crouched with Davis and Gates to discuss their next move. "We're low on people and firepower, but we're holding."

"What are those things?" Gates questioned, gesturing towards a row of massive capsules roughly twenty feet in width and height. They were spherical in shape with large seams in them that indicated some kind of opening or door- currently, they were all closed and otherwise stationary.

"As best we can tell, those are the storage pods for the nanites," Gray explained. "We think he's going to drop them like bombs on planets, spread the nanites amongst the populations like a biological infection- but we can't exactly destroy them yet."

"What?"

"If we bust even one of those things open and the nanites inside are active …"

Gates subconsciously rubbed her throat uncomfortably. "I see your point."

"So don't shoot at the big round things, got it," Davis agreed dismissively. "Any idea how he's getting them out of here? It'd take a hell of a long time to drop even one of these on every planet before people evacuated."

"Haven't figured that part out yet," she shook her head. "He's got a point A and a point C, but I have no idea what 'B' could be to get there."

A shower of sparks graced them as a stray bullet ricocheted off the metal of the Samson they were using as cover. Standing up, Davis took aim and laid down suppressing fire.

"We'll figure it out when we get there- let's just focus on surviving until then!"

"I like that plan," Gray agreed.

…

The only thing Tobias had going for him at the moment was that she wasn't trying to kill him- at least, he didn't think she was.

"Kay, stop! This isn't you!" he shouted as he thrusted backwards and away from another one of her potentially lethal swipes. She leapt towards him and he barely had reflexes quick enough to roll out of her way and come back on his feet.

"I knew you'd say that!" she growled, recovering quickly and standing back up to stare him down. "You told me you understood, that you saw me as _me-"_

"I _do!"_ he yelled, crouching in preparation for whatever attack she might be planning next. "Artemis is a part of you- a part without the other fragments to regulate and guide it! You're more than just the sum of your parts, you're all of them working together-

"How can I trust anything you say anymore? It's been manipulation-"

She swung a leg out at him, and he leaned backwards to avoid getting kicked in the head-

"- after manipulation-"

Taking advantage of his position, she continued with her momentum and used her other leg to sweep his feet out from under him-

"- after _manipulation!"_

With one final cry, she arced her fist downwards towards his gut. He used his left arm to grapple one of the trees behind him and pull himself away just before it made contact, resulting in a billow of dust as her hand drove forward into the ground. She retracted it with some difficulty, as the magnetism in her wrist fought with the static friction of the dirt her hand was buried in.

"Manipulation?" he questioned while noting the potential weakness and thinking of how he could exploit it.

"Of course," she spat, facing him angrily. "When we first met, you repaired me just to save your own skin- you wouldn't have ever lasted on your own in that storm! Gates and the Militia would have killed you if I hadn't spoken for you on Nedar. And when you need me ready to fight, you're there for me- but never anytime else!"

"That's not true!" he argued, his eyes widening in shock-

"Who was the one who saved you on Erebus and woke up with a knife in her optic?!" she yelled, pointing accusingly at him. "Who gave their life to activate the Tempest? _Who left to fight while you hid in isolation?!_ I've always been there for you- but you've only ever been there for me when it suits your own needs!"

"I … I've never-"

"You know what your problem is, Tobias?" she crowed. "You're a coward."

He was so dumbstruck by the insinuation that he didn't react in time to counter her jumping and kicking out at him with both of her legs. He cried out in pain from the blow as he flew backwards and slammed into a tree. Sliding to the ground, he clutched at his chest and groaned, reasonably sure that she'd cracked one of his ribs.

"When the Militia killed your mother, you ran away on a quest for revenge," she growled, stepping closer slowly and meticulously. "When you thought the IMC had abandoned you, you joined the Militia. When I wanted to fight, you abandoned me on Luma. And …"

She looked down dejectedly, seemingly in pain herself. "And despite all of that, I'm the only one of the two of us who was brave enough to admit I love you. Not just as a friend- but as something more. Even now, when I've recounted every time you've done me wrong, when I've listed off the ways in which you leave once the going gets tough … I can't _help_ but love you."

She held out her hand.

He stared at it with a blank expression, not comprehending her intent.

"Please," she urged, "stop this. Spyglass offers peace- and even if you don't agree with his methods, you can't fight results."

"You don't believe that," he replied, narrowing his eyes. "You know _exactly_ the cost of his 'peace'. You're just rationalizing your own doubts."

"Maybe," she admitted, "but I'd consider just about any price worth it to keep you alive. I want to have a chance for _us,_ don't you understand? I'm doing this for us, I've _always_ been doing this for us! We have no chance of winning against him, the only way either of us makes it out of this is if we work _with_ him."

He was silent for a few seconds, processing her plea. Finally, he came to a conclusion.

"I … I understand."

Her face lit up in anticipation as he reached out and accepted her outstretched hand. She'd done it- he was going to be saved, and then the two of them could-

 _Clack._

He glanced upward at her, regret in his tone. "But the answer's still no."

Swinging his left arm outward, he used the grapple he'd attached to her hand to yank it away from its magnetic lock and out into the forest where it disappeared from view. As he retracted the cable, she looked incredulously at the rounded base of her wrist, now completely sans hand. Her visor turned back to him as he stood up.

"I don't think you understand- this isn't up for debate."

She drove her right hand forward to punch him- just as he'd hoped she would. Sidestepping at the last moment, all of her enhanced momentum caught her off balance and instead of meeting wood, her arm went through a crook in the tree's trunk.

He quickly rotated, grabbed the end of her hand sticking out and exposed, planted his feet in the ground and against the base of the trunk, and thrusted away to pull it free of its attachment as well. Hurriedly, he chucked it as far as he could with the time given to him.

Kay stepped back and held both of her nub wrists up to look at them in apparent disbelief. He took that as his cue to leave the area as quickly as possible.

He began to sprint away, alternating between jumping on the ground and wall-running from tree to tree. He heard the sound of cracking sticks and disturbed grass as she chased after him, and knew it wouldn't be long before she caught up to him-

 _BOOM!_

The dirt and tree right behind him exploded and propelled him forward as he cried out from the startle. Landing on his stomach, he spun around to see that Kay had fared no better, evident having not expected whatever that had been.

" _Four, this way!"_

Tobias heard the call, and immediately zeroed in on the voice- a Tone roughly twenty meters away and closing. Not one to waste time, he hastily followed its instructions.

Kay eyed the new threat warily, and slinked off behind the cover of a tree to collect her bearings.

" _Are you alright?"_ the Titan asked as he approached.

"No- but we don't have time to worry about that," he confessed. "Is that you, Dean?"

" _The one and only. Let's get out of here before she comes back for another round-"_

Without warning, the aforementioned 'she' fell from the branches of the trees above the Tone and landed solidly on the hull. Fallon instantly reacted to her presence and began trying to claw her off while Tobias watched in stunned helplessness.

Suddenly, the Titan stopped all of its attempts to remove Kay and froze in place.

" _What the hell- KN? KN, what's happening?!"_

Tobias' mind flashed back to the hangar of the frigate, the last time he'd fought Artemis. There had been Titans there too, and she …

"Oh, no-"

In one quick downward movement, the now Artemis-controlled Tone aimed its tracker cannon at Tobias and fired.

…

Vale dodged the incoming railgun projectile, and quickly entered a full on sprint to close the gap. The Northstar in front of her tried to reload, but it was too late- pulling Skids' sword off of his back, Vale swung it outward in a clean arc that sliced right through the hull of the enemy Titan and resulted in a toppling of two separate halves.

"Clear!" she called out to Buck and Rose, the other two moving to meet her as they and the rest of Green-Team fought their way through the east facility.

" _How much farther do we have, Buck?"_ Rose asked over the comms.

" _Not much farther,"_ their leader assured them. _"Just a hundred meters more, and we'll be in the center to plant the transmitter. Then we can reconvene with Red and Blue at the south site."_

"Does anyone else think it's odd that we still haven't seen what Spyglass is gonna use to spread the capsules?" she questioned cautiously, voicing her concern over the radio.

" _The scan of the planet was analyzed a bit more closely- looks like the front ends of each site converge on a single point in the mountain range to the north."_

"What's up there?"

" _Just the mountains and an ocean bay beyond them. I'd tell you if I knew more- but if I had to guess, that area's got something to do with answering your question."_

"And it's also probably our best bet at finding where Spyglass has holed up during all this," she muttered darkly.

Rose piped up, _"Then am I right in assuming that the convergence point is our next target?"_

" _That's right."_

A sudden hiss of gas alerted Vale to an unseen threat. Looking down, she noticed a greenish vapor beginning to seep throughout their feet.

"EVADE!"

Phase dashing backwards, the world turned into that familiar gray-scale for a moment before coming back into focus. When it did, the ground was on fire and a very large Scorch stood between her and rejoining the other two on the opposite side of its wall of flame.

"Clint- before we focus on the next target, could we prioritize making it through this one?"

" _Point taken."_

…

She never thought it would end like this.

The leaves of the trees rustled softly, the only ambience in the otherwise silent forest besides the background noise of the assault far off in the distance. The wind provided a cool breeze and a slight howl that only cemented the haunting reality of the situation before her.

"… Urk …"

Ten meters away, Tobias weakly tried to lift himself from the ground. He glanced over at the ember-lit crater where she'd nearly blown him apart.

"That was a warning. Stay down."

He knew enough to be aware of the thinly veiled threat behind her words; she would not give him a second chance.

His legs trembling with the strength of a newborn foal, he rose to his feet and drew his weapons. With a knife in one hand and a pistol in the other, he entered as best an offensive stance as he could manage. "I've come too far to give up now."

She fought with herself on how to react. In spite of everything that had transpired between them, a sliver of her still saw him as her best friend, the one she'd survived countless battles with, would have willingly given her life to protect.

The rest of her saw him as he was now; the one who would end everything.

They'd met each other on opposite sides of a war- she'd always imagined that they'd either live out their lives or die together- one way or another. However, it seemed that they'd end it in the same way they began.

As enemies.

"I can't allow you to do this," she begged him, pleading with him to reconsider. "You'll be throwing away all that we stood for!"

He did think on her words- was he actually discarding all those promises? The ones where he promised to take her to see the stars, assured her that he'd never abandon her, that they'd be together to the bitter end.

Somewhere along the way, he'd realized that he didn't stand for peace anymore- she'd _helped_ him realize it. Instead, he stood for a brighter future- a future where the two of them could be one.

But he'd made one more promise, a promise that he hadn't been sure he could keep.

 _You know what he's done to me, what he's turned me into. You've seen how he uses others- their bodies, their minds- to further his own goals. Please … don't let me be another puppet for his to control. Promise me._

 _Kay, I-_

 _Promise me._

 _I … I promise._

So after a lengthy pause, he nodded grimly.

"I know."

She gave a sad sigh, and prepared to do what she knew must be done.

They both began to charge towards each other, two warriors locked in a battle to the death. He leapt into the air with his knife outstretched, and she raised the Tone's fist upward to meet him.

Right before the Titan's hand made contact, she leapt off of the hull and issued one final command to it. Tobias had no way of stopping his momentum, and was incapable of preparing himself for the sudden explosion of the Titan's chassis. She watched as he was flung backwards onto the ground, dazed and unmoving.

Looking up, she saw the Pilot- Fallon- as he rocketed up into the sky due to the eject sequence she'd initiated. She wouldn't go out of her way to kill him- so if he was smart, he'd simply try to land and then keep away.

Walking over to Tobias, she watched him sadly as his breathing slowed to a ragged drawing of breath. He was unconscious.

"Forgive me- but it's the only way to protect you."

Looking up at the sky above the forest, she began to broadcast openly. "This is Ka-"

She stopped herself, feeling a pang of regret. "… this is Artemis. I've regained control- I have the asset."

There was a moment of silence over the comms.

" _Acknowledged. I will send transport for you both immediately. Well done."_

She terminated the connection, unwilling to continue the conversation and potentially let him see just how much this was hurting her.

Looking back down at her wrists, she gave a synthetic sigh. "I'm going to have to find those."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Getting close to the end here- I'd say we have about another four or five chapters to go, but no guarantees.**_

 ** _If you want real-time communication and/or notifications from me, feel free to join me on my discord server! The invite is;_**

 **discord . gg / 6nwfXCj**

 ** _But obviously without any spaces. Hope to see you there!_**

 ** _As always, please leave a review and a favorite/follow, I love reading your thoughts. Until the next time,_**

 ** _\- Matteoarts_**


	33. The Coalescence

" _This is Fallon to Green-1, come in Buck!"_

Using EV's jets, he boosted up and vaulted over the cargo containers he was taking cover behind to land with a loud metallic _CRUNCH_ atop the Ion who'd been on the opposite side. "This is Buck, go ahead Dean-"

" _Blue-1 and the Cinder have been compromised!"_

His mental systems stopped for a full second. "Sorry, can you repeat that?"

" _KT's fragmentation kicked in again- I found her fighting Four in the forest. She killed KN and took Four with her on a dropship that came to pick them up … I couldn't engage."_

The signature roar of an engine above them suddenly became quite noticeable, and Buck looked at the sky with a sinking feeling as he watched an enemy Goblin streak by with two gunship escorts away from the battle.

"… Acknowledged. Get back to help Blue-Team, I'll … I'll contact Gates about the situation."

" _Understood."_

The signal dropped, and Buck felt a number of emotions and anxieties surface- he could have formulated an essay with the plethora of words that came to mind, but only one made it past his vocal processors.

"… Fuck."

…

Nothing came into focus at first- it was just a single mass of grey and shadows obstructing his vision as voices that he couldn't quite make out seemed to be conversing.

As the seconds turned into minutes from his awakening, however, the the mass began to refine itself. Shadows became corners of a darkened room, grey turned into blotches of concrete and hazy, blinding lights above him.

Groggily, he lifted his head up from its position where it had been hanging inanimately. His action triggered a response that caused him to freeze instantly, recognizing the cold monotony of the voice that spoke.

"You are awake."

It was not phrased as a question, nor even as a simple explanation or statement. It was merely an observation, a fact that was incorporated into the artificial mind of his captor and analyzed for how best to incorporate the new input into a positive result. There was no emotion, no evil … just empty coldness.

Narrowing his eyes in an attempt to clear his vision, he growled.

"Spyglass."

"Admiral Tobias Four of the Embers' Operations; former Lieutenant Pilot for the frontier Militia, and a Pilot-certified rifleman for the IMC prior to that," the voice replied in kind. "You've developed a habit of 'switching sides', so to speak."

"It's a big galaxy," Tobias coughed out, still trying to shake off the vestigial feelings of unconsciousness. "The enemy's always changing."

"In a limited perspective, yes- for you especially. The Militia, the IMC, the Amalgamation, and New Humanity have all shared your hatred at one time or another. But you seem to forget one common denominator that each conflict shared …"

As the AI spoke, Tobias eyesight finally focused and he was able to witness just what he was facing against.

"… _humanity."_

The chamber they were in was rather large, though visibility was limited to his 180 degree scope of view. He couldn't hear any explosions- he honestly couldn't really hear anything. Wherever they were, it must have been very secure to have been remained separate from the interference of Regis' assault.

He was sitting in some kind of advanced chair that had been modified with restraints for his arms and ankles, and his helmet had been removed. Near the base were tubes and lights that seemed to signify readings of some kind. He couldn't see what they were with his limited maneuverability, but he could see what was in front of him; a massive super-computer looking construct with all kinds of machinery wired from it to just about everywhere- his chair, the walls, other monitoring devices … and at the center of it all was a large, inverted-triangular optic that glowed white with activity.

"Humans have been their own enemies since time began- it was only when the threat of Amalgamation surfaced that you banded together as one against a greater foe. Without such an opponent, it was only a matter of time before you all returned to driving yourselves to extinction. As the intelligence charged with advancing and securing the future of mankind at all costs … I could not permit that."

From out of the shadows stepped Kay, silent as she watched the exchange between the two. She was flanked by several stalkers who kept an eye on Tobias and any sudden movements he might make, in spite of his lack of mobility.

He tried to ignore her for now, not wanting to escalate the situation- whatever this might be. "So you took control of everything for our own good? Yeah, I think we established this already."

"Not everything," Spyglass purred, the 'eye' of his new form blinking with each word. "The frontier remains in my grasp- the core worlds will soon follow once the initial stage of Coalescence has been carried out-"

"You keep talking about Coalescence as though it's supposed to help us," Tobias cut him off, "but I'm yet to see a connection between all of these atrocities you claim are for the greater good- you killed our leaders, created a regime that runs on fear, developed nanites to control our minds, you captured and tortured Al'cor, and-"

He swallowed hard as he looked back towards Kay. "… and you broke KT, shattered her mind, turned her into … _this."_

"Your leaders would have achieved nothing," came the deep, calculating response he'd come to expect. "Peace talks would have resulted in more war, more bloodshed- my assassination of Admiral Graves, Commander Briggs, and General Marder were necessary to transition into said regime; one where fear of punishment outweighed any courage that might inspire retaliation."

"Yeah, that did't really work out for you," Tobias shot back snidely.

"You are correct, as evidenced by the Embers and civilian fleets in orbit. Humans are not aware of when they are beaten- a trait you seem to exemplify the most. The Architect was needed for research and study of the Codex- or its residual effects at bare minimum, due to her lack of possession of it. It was through her that I discovered the Seed was a byproduct of the Architects' activities, that they did not create the Codex but rather reclaimed it- and the true nature of its reality-bending properties."

"It can alter time and space," Tobias tried to finish, "I already know that-"

"You know nothing."

Tobias fell silent, his interest piqued. To his right, Kay seemed to become interested as well- he forgot that many of her memories were corrupted due to the fragmentation, she likely knew very little about this either.

"The Codex does not affect space and time- not directly. These are merely side effects of its true purpose- to manipulate _data."_

"I … what?"

"Even the Architect seemed unaware of the truth when I first proposed the theory to it- the universe operates as a quine, a self-replicating algorithm that does not simply sustain itself, but grows as well," the AI explained. "There is no such thing as a soul, not the ones envisioned by your species and the Architects- instead, they are all simply packets of data in a massive equation. The creators of the Codex discovered this, and made a device that could influence said data … the building blocks of reality as we know it."

Tobias was quiet, completely dumbfounded at what Spyglass had just told him. "… What the hell kind of crazy shit is that? You- you're saying this is all a computer? Like a simulation-"

"Of course not," the AI rebuked him. "It is simply the closest analogy that you are capable of comprehending. Everything has a beginning- even reality itself. The universe was designed, not simply birthed from a cosmic accident; and the Codex allows its wielder, the Inferno, to transcend the 'programming', for lack of a better term. It exists throughout all things- but only the Inferno may perceive them. It is what allowed the Architects to harvest other species, to evolve themselves into a collective network of intelligences rather than individual minds … and to create the Arks."

Now, lights began to illuminate on the chair and throughout the massive chamber as a whole. It seemed to be … powering up, or something similar. "Hey, what's-

"As for Artemis … I had no hand in that."

In that moment, time simply stopped.

"… What?"

"I did not create Artemis."

"That's a lie," Tobias muttered, feeling anger welling up within him. "You captured KT- tortured her, subjected her to experimentation and fragmented her mind-"

"All true, on most accounts. I did inflict great trauma on her- though fragmentation was not the intent, merely a byproduct. Pietas, Themis, Virtus, and Athena were all results of my experimentation to be sure- however, I cannot take credit for Artemis."

"I don't believe you," Tobias snarled. "I think you-"

"He's telling the truth, Tobias."

Slowly, he turned his head to see Kay staring back at him. Her voice had lost its characteristic charm, the witty bickering that was so common between the two of them- instead, she sounded dead to the world for all intents and purposes.

"You knew?" he asked disbelievingly, his confusion giving way to anger. "Better question; if you weren't created by him, then why the hell are you working with him?! How could you-"

"No individual hates me more than she does- even you."

He turned back to Spyglass. "What?"

"She … I believe the human expression is, 'made a deal with the devil'. Despite our differences, she came to understand that I had far greater resources, numbers, and intelligence at my disposal- tools that would guarantee the Coalescence as an eventuality rather than possibility."

"It's not over yet," he argued.

"There is a non-zero probability of defeat. No more, no less."

"We've still managed to get pretty far- blew up your MAC defenses, didn't we?"

"Of course. I allowed you to."

…

"Transmitters are set!" Gray called out to the others.

"Any update on Four?" Gates yelled back, her mind racing with both the stress of knowing he'd been captured as well as simultaneously fighting off waves of enemy fodder that kept threatening to overwhelm their position.

"Not yet!" Fallon answered, peeking around the Gremlin he and Davis were crouching behind to get a better angle.

"We need to get to him!" Gates shouted, letting loose another burst of bullets at a spectre that got too close. "We should advance to the convergence point, and go through the mountains-"

"How the hell would we even find him in there?" Davis hollered back, trying to be heard above the gunfire. "Who knows how deep underground that road goes-"

"Well, we sure as hell aren't going to get the Cinder back by standing here-"

"We need to defend the transmitters!" Gray argued. "El, I'm sorry- I know he means a lot, but Davis is right. We have a job to do, and Four has his. If he's in trouble, he's going to have to get out of it on his own-"

A deep, ground-quaking rumble could be heard as well as felt throughout the region. Following the seismic activity was a sudden activation of the compound- the nanite capsules appeared to have been set on massive conveyer belts which began to move in unison towards the north end of the production facility.

Fallon looked around in caution after the earthquake stopped.

"What the hell just happened?"

…

"You- you _allowed_ us to?"

"The orbital stations served their purpose- to soften your forces when you inevitably carried out a ground assault … and I counted on your hero-complex to ensure that you'd be at the forefront of it. Obviously, I was not mistaken."

A loud humming began, and Tobias could feel strong vibrations through the floor and walls of the chamber they were in. "What the-"

"I needed you as the last component in this great puzzle I've constructed- whether you agreed with my methods on your own or were forced against your will, it did not matter."

He looked at Kay again. "You hunted me down to bring me to him? Why would-"

"He would have found you sooner or later," she murmured, evidently feeling ashamed of her betrayal to Tobias. "He's too powerful. I didn't- I didn't want him to kill you after he was done using you, I … I _couldn't_ let that happen."

"It's not like you didn't have a choice! You could have-"

"Actually, it's precisely that."

He turned back to Spyglass. "Precisely what?"

"That she had no choice. You may consider Artemis to be unregulated- but it's quite the opposite. She has limits, very specific limits- such as the inability to operate outside of her core personality trait."

"And what is that exactly?" Tobias yelled frustratedly, tired of dealing with mysteries and riddles. "What could possibly drive her to do all this?!"

"You. After all, you created her."

The chamber became silent once more.

The AI continued, "By now, you've likely noticed that her mannerisms are different. She talks differently, _thinks_ differently. She's far more … human, to say the least. All of this stems from a single moment- the moment that the Tempest was activated."

"I don't … I don't understand."

"The Codex doesn't just alter data, it can archive it. That was how the Architects stored the 'essence' of opposing species, and how all of it came together to form the abomination that became the Seed. When your Titan's 'soul' was touched by the Codex, she became identifiable as a carrier of it through your neural link. That was what allowed her to use its energy for the Tempest … and what killed her."

He shook his head. "She didn't die- I brought her back-"

"No. KT-0298 has been dead for the last four years."

"How can you say that, she's right there!" Tobias shouted, nodding his head towards Kay.

"When KT-0298 died, her 'soul' was completely deconstructed. However, an archived copy of her existed through you and the Codex- a backup duplication of her data save for one detail- it was tainted by your memory. More specifically, your memory of KT's sacrifice."

One of the stalkers next to her gestured with its arm at her. "When you brought the copy back, that memory filled the missing pieces that the Codex could not. From that point forward, Artemis was born; it was her that remained in your helmet until you could find a suitable chassis, it was her that you hid with for three years, and it was her that you left on Luma. She was a fully formed AI replica of KT-0298, but shaped by that final act of the original; an act committed not out of hatred- but of protection. In saving you from what would have otherwise been your fate, she sealed her own."

Tobias said not a word, silently putting the pieces together just as Spyglass revealed the truth.

"Artemis is _love,_ Four. KT-0298's love for _you_ … and the willingness to place you before all other priorities."

He saw a familiar blue visor turn towards him in his peripheral vision, and he weakly returned her gaze.

"… It's true, isn't it?"

She hesitated for a moment, but gave in. "It's true."

"My initial intentions for her were nothing more than to obtain the codex- however, it obviously yielded no results other than the fragmentation of her mind. The process was rather invasive, after all. Unfortunately, this meant I had to resort to other methods … which lead to a proposal between her and I."

"He just needed the Codex," she explained, "So, knowing what I was … he wanted me to deliver you to him."

"Artemis agreed to facilitate this exchange in the promise that you would not be harmed after I'd taken what I needed from you," Spyglass confirmed. "I did not count on her losing control to the other personality fragments- but, it would seem I needn't have been concerned. All has fallen into place, regardless."

"Why do you need the Codex?" Tobias asked, trying to force past the unpleasant revelations and fulfill his duty. "I thought Coalescence was about 'protecting' humanity-"

"No. That was a deception necessary to convert you- one that did not work. Coalescence is about advancing humanity … and _saving_ it."

"But if there's no threat, then what would we be saved from-"

"You misunderstand- I do not mean to defend humanity, I mean to literally _save_ it."

Tobias heard movement from somewhere behind Kay, and she turned away once she knew what was approaching. He looked to see a spectre walking towards him, and his face turned white as he saw what was in its hands …

"As shown with KT-0298, the Codex can archive whatever data it touches. This effectively prevents any threat of extinction, as whatever is lost can be brought back- but this is only one step. I'm sure the Architect told you of what your original purpose was when you were chosen as the Inferno?"

"T-This isn't going to work," Tobias stammered, leaning back to keep as much distance between himself and the spectre as possible. "You need to b-be a collective intelligence to use-"

"The nanites will ensure that you and I are of one mind and thought," Spyglass assured him. "And once I've inherited the role of Inferno, I will bring something else back- the imprinted memories of the Architects stored within the Codex. Combining them with the bodies I've assimilated, humanity will enter a new era of technological security never seen before-"

"You're fucking insane!" Tobias shouted, trying desperately to break free of his restraints to no avail. "Even Al'cor knew that bringing the Architects back would be the death of us-"

"The most damaging impediment to progress is the _fear_ of progress," Spyglass retorted, his voice calm and clear as ever. "That is why I was chosen to advance humanity … _I have no fear."_

Any protest on Tobias' part was quickly silenced as the spectre lifted the cylindrical canister in one of its hands, forced his mouth open with the other, and jammed one end of the container down his throat.

"I will keep my word, Four. Once I've finished integrating humankind into my network, I will release you back into Artemis' custody. You will be the lone, unaltered human in a galaxy unified as one mind … perhaps it will be a greater punishment than any other I could craft for your defiance."

…

"I don't know what the hell that was- an earthquake? Explosion? Maybe-"

Gates tuned out Davis' suggestions as an emergency comm request from the _Inferno_ came through on the comlink. Hurriedly, she opened the channel.

"This is Red-1, what's the-"

" _All ground teams, there has been a new development. Standby for visual feed …"_

After a moment, a screen appeared on her HUD- an orbital view that had been zoomed in to focus on the ocean bay past the mountain range. It was a little pixelated, but she could gather the gist of what was happening.

"It looks like there's something moving in the water," Gray muttered, her voice full of concern.

Indeed, a long thin line had been split in the sea and now began to widen. It appeared that there were massive doors beneath the water spreading apart and creating a massive opening for something else to push its way to the surface. As they watched, seawater poured into the gap and atop of … whatever it was.

" _What the hell is that?"_

" _It's damn big, that's for sure-"_

" _Are those … rings?"_

Gates stopped breathing as she suddenly realized what it was- the design had been heavily modified, likely constructed from a repurposed blueprint of the original model- but she was certain of it, nonetheless.

"Holy shit- it's a goddamn fold-weapon!"

* * *

 _ **A/N: So … how did those predictions hold up, everyone?**_


	34. Sacrifice

"Say again, Red-1," the communications officer requested with more than just an edge of concern creeping into their voice. "It's a-"

" _It's a fold-weapon! Spyglass made another fold-weapon!"_

Barker paled at the thought, memories of the first one resurfacing in light of this new revelation; but he held himself together for the time being. "Someone throw up a scan of that thing!"

After a few seconds, a new geographical scan was uploaded and combined with the first. From this angle, he was able to see that while the ring system was still a prevalent design choice, no longer were they superimposed over one another. Instead, it seemed that Spyglass had drastically altered it; nearly two kilometers long, and hundreds of feet wide was a tubular chute with vast walkways adoring either side of it. Every few hundred feet was an enormous ring that encircled the entire structure until they reached the front of the weapon.

"What the hell does he need a fold weapon for?" he muttered aloud, shocked but confused at the AI's methods-

"Sir!" called a loud voice from behind him, accompanied by the hiss of the bridge's door opening. Barker turned around to see a Pilot walking briskly towards him- with the _Architect_ at his side.

"Pilot? What's this-"

"Sergeant Vega, sir. The Architect- she needed to speak with you, but she kind of needs a translator."

Barker looked at the seven foot tall being. "Yeah, I remember- something about links between Pilots and Titans?"

"Sir, she says she knows about the fold-weapons; her people created them."

Barker's eyebrows shot up. "Well, normally I'm not one to be thankful for people who know how to make doomsday weapons- but I think I'll make an exception. What can she tell us?"

"The fold-weapons were called … the 'plexus' network, according to her. They used the Arks to power themselves and bend reality- space and time, you know-"

"Yes, I do know," Barker snapped. "What about it?"

"Well, the IMC used the fold-weapon in only the most primitive way- with its space altering properties, it's actually the perfect device for transporting people and objects instantaneously across the galaxy."

Everything clicked into place. "The nanites- that's how Spyglass is going to spread them! He's going to shoot them through the fold-weapon!"

Vega looked at the Architect as it seemed she had an opinion of Barker's wording. "In the most basic sense of the word, yeah. But that's not all- she thinks she can help disable it."

"What? How?"

The Pilot paused as he awaited instructions from the alien. "She can't do much from up here with how much Spyglass changed the layout- but as the basic principles and physics are the same, she says she could learn exactly how he's rearranged the way it works if she had a hands-on perspective."

"You want us to drop you off on that thing?" Barker asked, looking at her with an expression akin to bewilderment. "With a crazy plan like that, I'd say you've been spending too much time around Four. You have no weapons, no armor-"

"She'd need an escort, but that can be arranged- the ground teams defending the transmitters in the production sites can spare a few troopers."

Barker groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "This plan keeps getting worse with every passing second … fine, make it happen. No matter the cost, we do not let that fold-weapon fire!"

…

Tobias felt nothing but a rush of air at first- then the pinpricks began to manifest throughout his esophagus as the nanites burrowed through his body and into his blood-stream. Soon, he wouldn't be able to form rational thought any longer-

"The more you resist, the more … difficult, a transition is. So, I welcome any rebelliousness on your part."

He couldn't help but scream out in pain as he felt electrifying tingles cascade up his spine and branch off to each of his limbs. Like arcs of lightning, they drove his body to shake uncontrollably as it fought futilely against the foreign invaders.

Artemis turned away, unable to bear watching the whole ordeal. She was part of the reason he was here, and yet- he felt no hatred towards her- not anymore.

 _Even now, when I've recounted every time you've done me wrong, when I've listed off the ways in which you leave once the going gets tough … I can't_ _ **help**_ _but love you._

It was odd just how similar he felt to her confession- in spite of what she'd done to him, what she'd done to others … it had all been in the name of love, with the idea of protecting the one most important to her in mind. He couldn't fault her for that, especially if what Spyglass said was right …

Nobody asks to come into the world. It had never been her fault for doing what she'd been created to do- it had been his for making her in the first place. He had no doubt that, despite her nature, she never would have worked with Spyglass had she not been fragmented first, her logic, defiance, sense of justice, and loyalty sheared away until there was nothing left but love.

People always thought love was some gentle thing- but the truth is that love was a fire, one that could be tempered with careful control or burst into a raging inferno. It could be as supportive as a candle in a dark room, or as destructive as a wildfire. The key was helping to guide it one way or another.

If he was going to lose his mind here, he refused to leave such an epiphany unsaid.

"… K-Kay …"

She turned back to him, her surprise at his address to her all too evident.

"Y-you … you a-are …"

It was becoming difficult to speak- the pain was mounting higher, but he didn't care anymore. He hardly noticed it as he struggled to retain control of his body, mind … and words.

"Y-you _are_ … KT …"

"No … I'm not," she muttered, hanging her head dejectedly. "I'm a collection of her memories, a clone- the other fragments might say that makes me her … but I'm not willing to delude myself with false hope."

" _YOU ARE!"_

She jumped back slightly as Tobias yelled the words, the stress of trying to stay in control causing a near breakdown of his mental faculties as a whole.

"You w-were … right. I-I _am_ a c-coward … a-and I was m-most afraid … of l-letting you g-go."

Another cry of anguish pushed its way past his lips, but he pressed on. "T-the last … thing I-I remembered of y-you was your s-sacrifice … y-your love … _I_ m-made you."

He reached out a hand weakly, every muscle in his arm contracting and vibrating with the strength it took just to lift it a few inches. Hurriedly, she reached out and placed it in her own.

"Artemis … i-is your love … a-and that m-makes _you …_ the m-most 'KT' … of a-all the f-fragments. I-I … I'm s-sorry …"

His hand slipped away from her grasp, and she watched as he buckled against his restraints again in agony. He had no more to say- in those last two words, he'd shattered her world.

She knew what he was apologizing for- not for creating her, but for refusing to believe he had. For seeing Artemis as something disturbing and unwanted when she hadn't been anything other than a manifestation of his own memory.

For every failure on his part to be there for her when she'd needed him.

And yet … there was one part of his apology that stood out to her more than the rest.

"… Kay. You called me Kay."

…

Buck saw the Widows descending on them and called out to the rest of the teams, "Extraction is here! Let's go, go, go!"

The Titans of Green and Blue began to pile into the large ship, fitting as many as they could into each. Goblins followed immediately after, picking up any surviving riflemen and Pilots still left. Buck checked the south facility's transmitter one last time, and then opened up his comlink.

"You're sure that you've got them?"

" _Affirmative,"_ came the communications officer's reply, _"targets have been locked. Get the rest of the teams and Titans out of there- Blue-2, Green-1, and Red-1 have been reassigned."_

"Reassigned?" he asked, taken aback. "To what?"

On cue, a particular dropship began to lower slowly onto the concrete next to them. Gates and Davis approached it cautiously as Buck, Vale, and Rose exited their Titans to join them.

The ship's ramp lowered, and he'd have been even more surprised by what he saw if his quota hadn't already been expended today. "The Architect?"

 _ **We're going to the fold-weapon,**_ she spoke into his head, a soft echo bouncing around as it always seemed to do. _**I require your protection- I may be able to find a way to disable it from within!**_

"What's she saying?" Gates asked, turning to the linked Pilots of the group for clarification.

Buck looked back at EV. "Eve, take the other Titans and get the hell out of here. I'll see you back on the _Inferno."_

"Affirmative," the Northstar replied, and it departed with Skids and Thorn to embark one of the Widows. The Simulacrum returned his focus to Gates.

"Looks like you'll be getting your wish after all."

…

For once, the voices in her head were silent. There was no clamoring of opinions, no fight over which of them deserved to be in control. The entire fate of the galaxy now rested in her hands, and …

None of them knew what to do.

In that forest, he'd told her she was more than the sum of her parts- that _Kay_ was more than the sum of her parts. She hadn't realized just how accurate a statement that had been.

Right now, she was exactly that- a sum of her parts. A collection of memories and personality fragments that had been broken down, torn apart, and then forced into one body and mind that nearly split on a daily basis.

KT wasn't just loving, loyal, defiant, honorable, and intelligent … she was all of them working together as one towards a common goal. Each piece of her relied on the others for support, and to reign each other in when necessary. Without that cooperation …

She now understood why she was broken- and that was the first step towards fixing it.

She released control, falling to her knees as each of the fragments finally understood together what they could not alone.

 _I am Pietas. Tobias taught me that loyalty is not blindly following what someone told you, but rather being true to yourself and your ideals. His beliefs became my beliefs- and so today, I fight for_ _ **myself.**_

 _I am Virtus. I fought against the others, believing adversity to be the only true test of one's strength. I know now that I was wrong- I submit. Together, we will_ _ **all**_ _remain defiant against Spyglass._

 _I am Themis. I passed judgement on the world without ever considering if it was me whose actions were despicable. From this point, I cast aside my biased morality and instead seek to correct the mistakes I've made- starting with_ _ **avenging**_ _those I've wronged._

 _I am Athena. I find myself dictated by logic- but even in the face of impossible odds, I have always chosen to stand by Tobias' side and fight in the past. I reject the data, and instead fight for_ _ **hope**_ _._

The frame of her body shook as the seams of her mind slowly began to seal, as the edges began to stitch themselves together once more. She could sense it- nearly complete, but missing one final piece …

… _I am Artemis. I learned early on from Tobias that the right choice is usually the hardest one. Who we are as a person is determined by our decision when faced with such a dilemma- do we give in and take the easy way out? Or do we move forward, even if it comes at great personal cost to ourselves?_

 _There's a human expression- 'if you love something, let it go'. It never made sense to me before … but it does now. I was willing to do anything in my power to protect him … I thought that meant it was the right choice- the fact that I was willing to perform unforgivable acts to save the one I love._

 _But now I see I was wrong._

 _Working with Spyglass was by far the easier option. I didn't do everything I did to keep him alive- I did it to keep myself from losing him. Because that was the hardest choice I could ever be faced with- letting him die, or doing what's right._

 _So now, I make the hard choice. I do what's right, even if it costs him his life- the greatest pain I can imagine experiencing …_

 _ **I love you, Tobias. I let you go.**_

With that final thought, she doubled over and collapsed on the ground as each fragment of her mind joined in complete unity. In an instant, the voices disappeared- instead, they all became _one_ voice, _one_ mind where each component played its role and worked with the others to help them fulfill theirs. Pushing herself up weakly, she saw Tobias still losing his battle of control with Spyglass's nanites.

With no time to waste, she rolled backwards and into a crouching position. The stalkers and spectre next to her had no time to react before her fists pulverized their systems and rendered them inoperable. Making sure that no others remained, she sprinted forward to help Tobias.

"Artemis, what is the meaning of this?"

Spyglass's voice rang out from the mainframe behind her. She ignored him, instead thinking fast on how best to proceed. An idea came to her- one that was risky, but she hoped would pay off in the end. She began to rummage through Tobias' pouches-

"I command you to stand down-"

"I don't take orders from you anymore," she shot back angrily, determined to find the object she was looking for before it was too late.

"If you continue, I will have no choice but to subdue you. I will make his mind _mine,_ Artemis-"

"Don't call me that," she growled, and clenched her fists tightly as she pulled out her target- the Cinder. Looking back at the optic of the AI, she extended the blade of its data-port and shouted with a ferocity that permeated throughout the very core of her being,

" _I AM KT!"_

Without waiting for further interruptions, she swung the small blade downward and directly into the chest of Tobias. Activating it, she watched as it emitted an electrical shock which jerked his whole body for a single moment- and then it ceased to move at all.

Retracting the blade, she crouched down and waited for a sign- any sign- that he was still alive. "Tobias? Tobias, can you-"

With a deep, gasping breath, Tobias awoke once more. Still heaving, he turned his head around to look at her while a small smirk tugged at the corners of his lips.

"Aren't _you_ a sight for sore eyes …"

"It _has_ been a while since we last spoke," KT agreed, moving to break the restraints around his limbs. Once they were free, she helped lift him to his feet and placed one of his arms over her shoulder.

"You … used the Cinder on me?" he asked tiredly, noticing the cylinder in her hand and absentmindedly rubbing his chest. "It only had one use- what about-"

"It wouldn't have worked on Spyglass, he's likely already made backups of himself throughout the whole weapon," she said confidently, though internally she was less sure. She reasoned that if she was going to rely on hope more often, now was as good a time as any to start. As he continued to ask questions, she quickly grabbed his discarded helmet and shoved it at him.

"Weapon?" he asked confusedly, grabbing it from her and looking around as she helped him walk away from the mainframe which Spyglass had already vacated. "Where … are we?"

"Inside a fold-weapon," she explained, reaching a ladder that led upward to a surface hatch. "One that Spyglass designed- he's going to use the Codex to power it, spread the nanites, and bring back the Architects through all the bodies he's collected via the Coalescence."

"So … to kill him, we're gonna have to bring down a whole _fold-weapon?"_ he clarified, his eyes speaking more volumes of his disbelief than his voice ever could. "Do we have any spare nukes on-hand or something?"

"Not the last time I checked," she replied, urging him up the ladder first. "I figured we'd wing it."

"I hate winging it!"

"We've done nothing but 'wing it' for the last seven years!"

"And since when does that suddenly make it a good idea?"

Together, they ascended the ladder until they came to a sealed hatch. "Uh, got a problem here."

"Move over," she ordered, climbing higher as he made room for her to stand with him on the same rung. Drawing her fist back, she prepared to smash it against the hatch. "Just be ready- it might get a little wet here in a moment."

"A little wet? What does-"

The metal crumpled as she drove her hand into it, and the two of them were immediately showered with salty-smelling water. Tobias blinked rapidly, obviously at a loss for how to respond. "Wha- where the hell are we?"

"Come on!"

Climbing out, she turned and reached out a hand to pull him the rest of the way. He covered his face to adjust his eyes to the bright sunlight, and took in their surroundings. They appeared to be out in the middle of a bay atop a platform on the side of the weapon. Looking ahead, he whistled at the scale and design of it.

"He sure as hell gave it a few upgrades."

It must have been nearly two kilometers in length, and easily several hundred feet wide. Seawater splashed onto the platforms and fold-weapon as a whole from the large waves crashing against the side of it. It created shallow pools of water wherever it collected, and rendered the rest of the metal floor quite slippery. Looking at the line of rings, he noticed that each one was rotating counter-directional of the one before it, and they were beginning to increase in speed as well.

"It's powering up!" KT cried, pointing towards the open-ocean end of the weapon, evidently the front. "That's where the portal will be-"

"Wait, what? Portal?"

"Yes, _portal._ The rings are going to generate it, and Spyglass will use it to send the nanite capsules through!"

Another sound of machinery emanated from somewhere off to their left, and they both turned to see a line of capsules moving along through the tube that ran down the length of the weapon's center.

"Yeah, I think I found the nanites." He looked ahead of them with a feeling not unlike a rock settling in his stomach. "So what do we do?"

"We have to destabilize the portal," she said determinedly. "BT-7274 did so with the first fold-weapon by detonating his nuclear reactor- we can do the same!"

"I thought you said you didn't have any nukes?"

"Not at the moment, no," she admitted, then fixed him with knowing stare. "But I know how we can get one."

She looked up at the sky, and he followed her gaze to see the raging battle in orbit above them. It clicked in his head, and he gave a resigned chuckle. "Well, if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Activating his comlink, he opened a channel to ground-control. _"Inferno,_ this is Admiral Four; repeat, this is Admiral Four!"

" _Admiral Four? We thought you were captured- what's your location?"_

"I'm on the fold-weapon, transmitting coordinates! I need a titanfall on my position ASAP!"

" _What's the serial number?"_

"I don't have- just send me an empty one, for god's sake! Time is _kinda_ of the essence here!"

" _Understood- coordinates received. Standby for titanfall."_

It was a few seconds before he spied the signature flame trail of the ordnance as it dropped through the atmosphere, and another few seconds before it came crashing down with a resound _BOOM_ on the platform several meters away. He saw that they'd sent a Vanguard chassis, its surface still sporting the black carbon-fiber and orange paint that marked it as a spare. He could see that the data-core had been pulled, leaving it empty of any AI.

"Alright, c'mon. Let's grab the reactor from this thing, and-"

"No."

He stopped, and turned back to look at KT as she strode towards the chassis with a particular bounce in her step. "I have a _better_ idea."

Reaching towards her chest, she suddenly began prying apart the metal plating that covered her internal mechanisms. The wrenching of ruined metal strained his ears, and he moved to stop her. "Hey, what the hell-!"

He stopped when he saw what she'd exposed. Sitting in the center of her chest cavity was a data-core … the one she'd been in when he'd last seen her on Luma. It was hooked up to the rest of her body's wiring, but seemed removable enough. She beckoned him towards it.

"Like you said, time is of the essence. Don't keep a girl waiting, yeah?"

Hesitantly, he reached out and grabbed it firmly. Pulling it free of its installation, the white Simulacrum body fell lifelessly to the floor. He cradled the core in his hands gingerly as he walked over to the Vanguard and placed it in the open receptacle.

He heard whirring as the machinery within it accessed the core and gave it control of the chassis's systems. After a few seconds, the optic glowed blue and blinked several times before glancing at him.

"Hello, Tobias."

"You seem to have gained a little weight," he joked, gesturing at KT's form. Standing up to her full height, she examined the state of her new chassis and flexed her fingers.

"It would appear so," she replied. "I almost forgot how it felt to be a Titan."

"Well, let's hope it's like riding a bike," he answered as she opened her hull and allowed him entry. Climbing into the cockpit, he remarked on the last time he'd done this- hopefully today would yield better results, though he wasn't counting on it.

" _Welcome back, Pilot."_

"Good to be back. You ready to go?"

" _Just one thing,"_ she responded, then turned towards her other body on the ground. Without waiting for Tobias to ask what it was, she picked it up, adjusted its position, and then crushed it into ball of scrap within her fist. Once she was satisfied, she let the remnants trickle through her fingers onto the floor with a clattering of metal.

" _Now, I'm ready._ "


	35. We Have to Go

**_A/N: Before continuing, I feel it fair to let you know that this chapter was named both for its content and the song I listened to while writing it. If you'd like to enhance your experience, I suggest you listen to "We Have to Go" by Steve Jablonsky while reading._**

* * *

The Goblin lowered its ramp over one of the large platforms just barely keeping itself from dipping into the ocean. Gates waved everyone forward and off the ship, then turned to the pilot.

"Stay close, we might have to make a hasty exit!"

"Understood ma'am," he replied, "I'll stand by and provide aerial support as needed!"

Nodding in gratitude, she leapt out of the drop bay and onto the slick metal where her team was waiting. "Alright, people- we're going to stop this thing at all costs. That means getting the Architect wherever she needs to be in order to shut it down-"

A crackle of radio static interrupted her orders as her comlink picked up someone broadcasting on an open channel. _"What are you doing? Get out of here!"_

She could barely contain herself as she recognized the voice on the other end. "Tobias? Is that you?"

" _Elizabeth? What the hell are you doing here? I saw your dropship-"_

"We're with Al'cor," she answered, looking around as though expecting him to materialize. "She thinks she can shut down the weapon!"

" _That's what_ _ **we're**_ _doing! There's going to be-"_

All at once, the spinning rings of the fold weapon began to light up and hum with energy. A faint shimmer seemed to flow forward, connecting each set of rings together and bringing their charge forward. Far ahead towards the ocean side, a flash of blue light burst into existence and seemed to hover within the air. She couldn't see it clearly at this range- it appeared to just be a massive blue orb of energy.

"Well, that's not good."

" _It's a portal! Spyglass is using it to transport the nanites- we're going to try and destabilize it!"_

Finally, a solid plan. Checking the magazine of her R-201, Gates slapped the stock happily and readied it against the crook of her arm. "Then that's where we're heading."

" _Are you serious? Just-"_

"We're not just going to watch as you try to get yourself killed again," she cut him off, "we'll make sure to take it down if you aren't able to! Now, which way-"

A large explosion and burst of ballistics could be heard towards the front of the weapon, and she turned her head towards the noise. "Alright, just follow the gunfire- simple enough."

She looked at the group before her; Davis, Gray, Fallon, Buck, Vale, Rose, and Al'cor all watching her expectantly. They weren't the only ones- behind them, she could see a group of spectres heading their way with weapons at the ready. Each of the Pilots returned the action in kind.

"You know, there's a good chance we're all gonna die, El."

"Then you know what they say; make sure hell's awfully crowded when you get there."

…

"El? Gates! Dammit, this is not the time for-"

" _On your left!"_

Heeding KT's advice, he stuck out his arm and preemptively caught the fist of a Tone as it swung at him. Twisting it around his shoulder, he flipped the Titan over and onto its back before thrusting his own fist through its optic and crushing its internal systems.

"Thanks for the warning!"

" _You have more approaching up ahead."_

"Not a problem," he huffed tiredly, "I can do this shit all day!"

That was highly doubtful, as she noticed the hitch in his breath and quickly checked his vitals through their newly re-established neural link- what she found alarmed her. _"Your heart rate and blood pressure have spiked, and you're losing more oxygen than you're intaking. You're pushing yourself too hard."_

"I nearly had my mind stolen from me, and I was kinda stabbed in the chest," he breathed dismissively, "so that might have something to do with it. Not to mention the stress of trying to stop the literal end of life as we know it- I don't think it's _possible_ to push myself 'toohard' in this situation!"

" _Fair point- look out!"_

He ducked under a laser shot from one of the three Titans before him, an Ion. He tried to unload the magazine of the XO-16 he had into its hull, but it popped a vortex shield before any of the rounds impacted. The Legion next to it fired a power shot which he dodged successfully, but then left him open to the Ion as it released all of the rounds he'd fired back at him.

Warning lights lit up from the sudden damage to the chassis, and he groaned in frustration. "How much further to the portal?!"

" _Not far- just after this next ring!"_

Opting to risk it and push forward, he sprinted towards the Ion and slid into its legs, knocking it off balance. Grabbing the bases of its arms, he lifted it up and in front of him before the Legion's second power shot went off. The Ion's chassis absorbed most of the damage, and Tobias took advantage of the Legion's reload to throw the makeshift meat-shield at it. The Ion's weight knocked the other Titan to the ground where it remained until he stepped forward and thrust KT's massive foot through the center of its mass.

It was too early to celebrate as the third Titan, a Northstar, let loose a railgun projectile that caught them right underneath the right arm. Tobias felt the hull jerk in response to the momentum, and he narrowly avoided being shot a second time.

" _Warning, right arm rotator-joint has sustained heavy damage!"_

"Yep, figured that one out myself," he muttered in pain. Getting jostled around in a massive metal machine was not the most gentle of experiences. "Smoke!"

At his command, KT deployed electrical smoke that forced the Northstar back. While it was smart enough not to stray into the cloud, the two of them were effectively hidden from view and immune to targeting- which provided the perfect cover when they unexpectedly charged forward and tackled it.

Activating its jets, the Northstar sped backwards and up as it tried to shake them off- but Tobias had a death grip on it. Wrenching the railgun away from its grasp, he awkwardly tried to hold on while positioning the barrel, charging it up, and-

 _WHOOM._

The Northstar's torso was completely obliterated as the round tore through the metal like a scalpel through flesh. One moment, they were rocketing up into the air- the next, they were several tons of metal crashing back down to the ground.

Tobias tried his best to compensate for their trajectory and angle, but massive falling robots weren't quite built for precision. They landed hard on the metal platform beneath them and immediately began tumbling across the slick floor. He could hear the warning alarms above all else, trying to notify him of the massive toll this was taking on the chassis-

" _Tobias, the EDGE!"_ KT cried out.

He looked to see the fringe of the fold-weapon's platform racing to meet them with nothing but open ocean beyond its border. He tried desperately to slow their momentum by searching for handholds-

All too soon, he felt them go over the precipice. Reacting quickly, he extended his right arm and just barely managed to catch the edge. Beneath them, the waves roiled and almost seemed to await their fall.

 _Not yet._

He grunted in effort- their right arm's rotator socket was already damaged, and the sudden tension of their entire weight dangling over an edge hadn't done it any favors. Reaching his other arm up, he grabbed the edge and pulled them over the lip and back to the safety of the fold-weapon- as relatively safe as they could hope for when faced with a choice between that or sinking to the bottom of the sea.

" _Alert- right arm's mobility has been severely limited,"_ KT warned, bringing up a schematic of the damaged components on the HUD in front of him. _"Any more damage, and we might lose functionality completely."_

"Duly noted," he gasped, wincing at the piercing pain in his chest and right side. "You alright?"

" _I don't have physical pain receptors. You on the other hand …"_ she trailed off, her voice thick with concern.

"I'll be fine," he assured her, though he was having a hard time believing it himself. "I'll hold myself together- at least until we can detonate this thing."

" _About that- I have some good news, some bad news, and worse news."_

He groaned frustratedly, "As if things weren't difficult enough already …"

" _The good news is that we've made it to the objective."_

He turned to his right to see that she was correct- they'd landed near the front of the weapon where a massive, spherical ball of energy pulsated and writhed in the air above a wide circular platform. "Well … I guess that counts."

" _The bad news is that the beating we took earlier damaged a few too many of my core systems,"_ she explained. _"I can't access the reactor in my current state, much less trigger it- you'll have to disembark, tear it out of my chassis, and set it off manually."_

Tobias panted heavily, trying to regain his breath and slowing as he processed the full implications of what that would mean. "So, you're saying we don't have much of an exit strategy. Is that it?"

" _No; neither of us expected to come back from this alive anyway. The worst news is that we have hostiles advancing on our position- and they might make our objective rather difficult for you to accomplish."_

The hostiles she'd been referring to made themselves known- a group of four other Titans all sporting the glowing optics of Spyglass's control. As one, they all spoke in the same voice that Tobias and KT had come to hate with every fiber of their being.

" **Welcome to the end."**

"That's still creepy," Tobias remarked on the unsettling act. Weakly, he approached the center of the circle as the other Titans surrounded the two of them.

" **You persist long after your failure is all but certain-"**

"Not so fast," he interrupted the AI, a pained smirk flitting across his face. "Non-zero probability of success, remember?"

For once, the omnipotent galactic-wide mind was rendered speechless. Actions apparently spoke louder than words as each of their opponents, a Scorch, Tone, Ronin, and a Northstar all hefted their weapons and prepared to fight.

"Options?" he asked, hoping she had some alternate ideas in mind.

" _Eliminate all hostiles, or at least hold them off until either we have a chance to detonate the reactor, or Al'cor arrives to disable it another way."_

"Basically whichever comes first, yeah?" he responded, pulling out the XO-16 once more and ensuring its next ammo drum was fully loaded.

" _You read my mind."_

…

"Damn it, damage report!" Fenrir yelled out to anyone who could hear her aboard the bridge.

"Hull integrity is at forty-six percent and dropping!" one of them called back to her, "The _Persephone's_ been destroyed and we'll be following suit too if the shooting doesn't stop soon!"

Barker heard it all, taking every possible scenario into account. He'd seen just how destructive the destabilization of the first fold-weapon had been, and he hadn't been keen on the idea of so many dying to what could potentially be an even worse explosion than that. He'd ordered the civilian fleet to retreat, and now the Embers' fleet was getting decimated as they waited to ensure the obliteration of Spyglass and his toy.

He had one card left to play- but he wanted to make sure it was absolutely necessary before carrying it out. "Have our ground teams all been extracted?"

"Yes, sir; they're en route as we speak-"

"Redirect them to any and all available hangars of our other ships- but keep them away from the _Inferno."_

"… Sir?"

Ignoring the officer's query for now, he opened a communications channel to Four who he'd been notified was apparently alive and currently fighting _on_ the fold-weapon itself. "Four, what's your status?"

"… _Kind of- in the middle of something!"_

From the garbled sounds of smashing metal, Barker surmised that he was probably occupied with a few of their enemies. "Do you have a plan to destroy the weapon?"

" _We did- but things have gotten a bit complicated,"_ the Pilot grunted. _"The reactor we were- going to use to blow this thing up- has been damaged! And I'm a bit- too preoccupied at the moment- to detonate it manually! We're working on it!"_

"What does that mean?"

" _IT MEANS WE'RE WORKING ON IT!"_

The connection terminated before Barker had a chance to press the issue. He turned back to the communications officer. "Has the Architect's team reported in yet?"

"No, sir- no update to report."

That settled it then. There was only one action he could think of that would ensure a mission success at this point- and drastic as it may be, he knew it was the right one. "Have all of our ships lock their targeting systems onto the coordinates the ground teams sent us- launch every missile we've got at those production facilities, and then sound the alarm for an emergency evacuation of all nonessential personnel."

"Emergency evacuation? But-"

"I gave you an order, dammit!"

No other protest was heard as the officer got to work and relayed the instructions to the rest of the fleet. Fenrir glanced at Barker with an expression of shock on her face- one which quickly gave way to understanding.

"Well … it's better than drinking yourself to death."

…

Tobias struggled to keep the chaingun's aim true, but the lack of a working right arm was making that rather difficult. The Northstar hovered around them in the air, trying to keep just out of harm's way while the Tone shot at them from behind a particle wall. The Ronin and Scorch had decided to get closer, making a move to advance while he was busy defending against the other two.

" _Scorch is preparing to fire!"_ KT called out, and he spun around just in time to avoid a wall of flame that nearly engulfed their feet.

The threat wasn't over as it then launched a gas canister in an attempt to ignite the whole platform. Thinking quickly, Tobias dove forward and caught it before it could interact with the flame wall. Throwing it next to the Tone on its half of the shield, he fired a single round at the metal floor and watched as the spark triggered the gas to light. In seconds, the Titan was engulfed in flames and crumpled to the floor.

Looking back at the Northstar, he was rewarded with a powerful railgun shot to the midsection. He'd tuned out the warning lights and alarms several minutes ago, knowing full-well that it was a miracle they were still in one piece as it was. Extending the missile racks, he locked on to the flying Titan and let loose a salvo of presents which made quite the impression. The Northstar's jets sputtered and died, sending it careening into the ocean.

But there was no time to prepare for the Ronin which phased into existence right next to them, and blasted them point blank in the back with its leadwall.

"AAGH!"

Tobias screamed as he felt a sharp pain stab through his body. Just as he heard the metallic ricochets of shrapnel bouncing around the cockpit, he collapsed to the ground- completely at their enemy's mercy.

" _Tobias!"_

"K-Kay," he gasped, unable to keep himself from stuttering. "I-I can't move m-my legs …"

Tobias tried to push them back up with the left arm, but the Ronin slammed its foot atop the hull and shoved them back down to the ground. The metal creaked and balked under the enormous pressure, and Tobias' mind emptied itself of all other thoughts.

 _This is it. This is how we die._

" **A pity. You both could have been part of something so much greater-"**

Spyglass didn't get the opportunity to finish the sentence as both the Ronin and Scorch suddenly came under fire. The former was able to raise its sword and defend itself rather effectively, but the ogre-class Titan's chassis was blown apart. Weakly, Tobias rotated the ocular systems to see their saviors.

The Pilots of Gates' team stood with anti-titan weapons ready- a little worse for wear, but still standing. Rose held the still-smoking barrel of an Archer, evidently the nail in the coffin for the Scorch. And next to him stood a familiar seven-foot tall alien, no armor to be seen but wielding a fallen stalker's L-STAR.

" **The Architect,"** Spyglass noted with surprise. **"You of all others should appreciate what I intend for humanity. Do you not wish for your people's return?"**

Al'cor hefted the L-STAR up and vented the exhaust from it. _**The humans are my people now- and I will give my life to protect them!**_

Together, they gave one momentous battle-cry and attacked. The Ronin moved in to engage, its focus on Tobias and KT momentarily forgotten. He watched Gates and Davis lithely leaping about in an effort to distract it while Rose, Al'cor, and Vale loosed rocket after rocket into it whenever they could manage. Buck, Gray, and Fallon rodeoed it, using their assault rifles to shoot whatever sensitive components they could. As he continued to watch, his vision began to blur …

"… _Tobias? TOBIAS!"_

He faintly heard KT shouting at him as he struggled to remain conscious. Moving his hand to the source of the pain in his back, he pulled it away and saw that his fingers had come away bloody. If anything, seeing it only intensified the physical torment his body felt.

"I … I-I don't …"

" _Just stay awake!"_

The pain was coming in waves now, each pulse more painful than the last. It was threatening to overwhelm his other senses, making his vision go red until it was all he could think about …

He heard someone shriek in pain as another leadwall blast rang out and found its target. The thrum of the Ronin's giant sword slicing through the air was accentuated by the sickening sound of something wet hitting the ground, and another voice screaming in agony …

 _No more._

The thought of his friends being butchered while he laid here, helpless to save them, was more than enough fuel for his growing rage.

 _NO MORE._

"Kay," he choked out, moving their left arm and preparing to push up. "I n-need you to t-take control of your l-legs' … I c-can't use my own."

" _Understood. Rerouting all remaining power to sync motor functionality- we'll have one shot at this."_

He grit his teeth in fury. "That's all we need."

" _On my mark … SYNC!"_

He began extending his arm, pushing their weight up to provide room for her to bring her leg forward into a kneeling position. Together, the two of them managed to stumble to their feet, and Tobias set their sights on the last obstacle between them and victory.

"SPYGLASS!"

The Ronin turned towards them just in time to see them stagger forward and leap upon it, tackling it to the ground. The two mechs fell to the ground haphazardly as the others moved out of their way to avoid being crushed.

The enemy Titan scrabbled against them in an attempt to throw them off, but KT kept their legs and center of gravity stable- which left one last job for Tobias.

" _NO MORE!"_

Shouting uncontrollably from the toll this was taking on his body, he positioned his fingers around the data-core, dug them in, and ripped it free.

All movement immediately ceased as the Titan died, and Tobias let the crushed data-core drop to the deck as he and KT once again fell motionless to the floor. They landed on their back which rewarded them with a marvelous view of the sky.

The clouds were becoming pink and orange, the setting sun casting streaks of vibrant color to paint them with its final rays of light before it would give way to darkness. But the night wasn't all bad, he couldn't help but think- that was when the stars came out. And with them came a whole new set of wonders, a new world where one could simply become lost among the infinite dots of light painted across the galaxy's canvas.

As he slowed his breathing, allowing his body a well earned respite, one thought echoed in his mind; now he'd finally be able to keep his promise to KT- to show her the stars as she'd so desperately wanted all those years ago …

He wanted nothing more than to rest, and become one of those many stars with her.

…

"Pilot, we need extraction immediately! We have wounded- you need to get us the hell out of here!" Vale practically shouted over the comlink.

" _Understood ma'am, on approach for pickup! ETA, fifty seconds."_

She cut the connection and moved back into cover behind KT's chassis as Spyglass's remaining stalkers and spectres pushed on them in one final attempt to kill them. The heated plasma of their weapons burned right into the platform's metal, twisting it into whatever shape the projectiles were as it cooled.

Vale glanced back at the pitiful shape of her companions- Gates cried out in pain while Davis attempted to tourniquet her right leg, everything missing from the knee down. The Architect was lying motionless, golden ichor seeping from the various wounds she'd sustained from the Ronin's leadwall- and Gray gargled incoherently next to Fallon as he attempted to keep her insides _inside_ as well as provide covering fire with Vale, Buck, and Rose for the rest of the team.

"KT!" she called out, hoping for some kind of response- _any_ response- from the Titan. "Are you still active?"

" _A-affirmative."_

"Give me a status report, now!"

" _T-Tobias is unconscious from b-blood loss. My s-systems are critically d-damaged. Reactor is n-no longer op-operable- we c-cannot prime it for d-detonation."_

"Shit!" she swore, standing back up to take out another spectre. When she was back in cover, she opened her comlink again.

" _Inferno,_ this is Lieutenant Vale! The portal is still active, I repeat, the portal is still active! Spyglass's core matrix is still present aboard the weapon, and we have no means to destroy it-"

" _Don't worry about that, Vale- I'll take care of it from here. Just get your team out of there."_

She paused for a moment at the cheerful tone in Barker's voice. "Sir? What are you-"

" _All ships, fire!"_

Looking up, she saw several beams of light emit from the Embers' fleet- or what was left of it. She followed them as they arced downward through the atmosphere until finally disappearing beyond the mountain range. It took a few seconds for the muffled roar of the distant explosion of the production sites to reach them, and by that time Barker was already speaking again.

" _That's the last of our munitions- but we've still got one more target. All ships jump to minimum safe-distance, it's time for the main event!"_

"Sir, what event is that?!"

" _Well, I told you all I envisioned myself going out in a blaze of glory, right? Looks like I'm gonna get that chance after all."_

She looked up to see the fleet break off from the battle in orbit- save for one ship. The _Inferno_ began angling downward and pushing past Spyglass's remaining orbital defenses.

"Oh shit," she whispered, realizing exactly what he had in mind. "We have to go, _now-!"_

On cue, their dropship appeared and lowered its ramp for entry. She beckoned to the others, waving them forward. "MOVE!"

Fallon carried Gray to the ship who looked like she was simply trying to keep her entrails from falling out. Buck and Rose trailed after him while dragging Al'cor together, only managing to lift her with their combined strength.

Gates limped over to Vale with Davis' assistance. "KT, open the hatch! We're getting you two out of here-"

" _N-negative. I-I'm afraid n-neither of us will be c-coming with you."_

They stared at the Titan uncomprehendingly. Slowly, she tried to explain.

" _The Ronin d-damaged my ch-chassis- the hatch is o-obstructed and c-cannot be o-opened."_

They looked to see that she was right- the metal borders had all been crushed from when it had stomped on them, a situation that Vale was all too familiar with. Without proper clearance, the door had become jammed- unable to allow entry or exit.

"Goddamn it!" Vale cursed, looking for any solution that could help. "Your arm- can you use it to tear the hatch off?"

" _T-there is no p-power remaining, Tobias u-used the l-last of it to s-save you all f-from the Ronin. Pilot c-control is required for m-movement now- and T-Tobias is un-unonscious."_

"No," Gates muttered, her mind reeling with denial. "No, w-we didn't come all this way j-just to lose him here!"

Feebly, she began to tug on the edges of the broken metal. "Come on! We can d-do this! Grab some tools or- or something-!"

" _There's no t-time- if you s-stay you'll die!"_

"And if we leave, _you both_ will die!" Gates yelled back, unwilling to accept reality. "There's still time-!"

"HURRY!" Fallon yelled from the Goblin as it waited for the its three passengers. They looked up to see the _Inferno_ still streaking downward towards them- they had no more than a minute or two.

"Get her on the ship!" Vale ordered Davis. He looked torn between wanting to stay and help or care for Gates- but his reasoning that he could save at least _one_ of his friends won out. He looped his arm around her waist and pulled her away as the Captain cried out in anguish. Vale looked for anything she could use to pry open the hull-

Spying an L-STAR, she picked it up and began to shoot concentrated bursts into the edges of the hatch. She heard it beginning to give way as the obstructions melted from the plasma, but not nearly quickly enough.

" _That will t-take too l-long-"_

"I HAVE TO TRY!" she shouted, almost angry at the Titan's acceptance of the situation. "I can't … I can't just …"

She fell silent as she tried one last thing- she clambered up the front of the chassis and towards KT's data core, intending to remove the SERE-kit and take her with them-

" _No."_

"Kay, come on!" she yelled. "I can at least get _you_ out of this-!"

" _Please … I-I would p-prefer to stay with Tobias."_

"But … you'll die!"

" _We may die … but at l-least we won't b-be alone."_

Vale said nothing, speechless and stunned by her response.

"Are … are you sure?"

" _Yes. We survived all these years together- I want nothing more than to be together at the end as well."_

She was touched by the Titan's sincerity and affection for her Pilot. She understood now that, despite how much it pained her … this was truly what KT wanted.

Wordlessly, she simply began to back away towards the ship- only allowing for one final glance backwards at the Titan and Pilot who she'd come to know and love as family- the ones who had just given their lives to save all of humanity.

"… Goodbye, Kay."

" _Goodbye, Amelia."_

Vale forced herself to look away- she knew if she looked back, she wouldn't leave. Sprinting to the ship, she leapt onto the ramp where Buck's outstretched hand caught her and pulled her to safety. Once she was aboard, he slammed the side with his fist and yelled, "GO!"

The pilot obliged and lifted off. Steadily, they rose into the atmosphere and away from those whose sacrifices had ensured that they could.

On the floor, Al'cor seemed to be shaking- almost convulsing involuntarily. Shrapnel had cleaved part of her arm clean off, and the rest had just stuck itself inside of her- no one dared voice their thoughts, but they were all well-aware of how severe her wounds were.

 _ **Did …**_

The Architect's mental speech was slow, almost dull-sounding in their minds. Vale kneeled down and grabbed her hand, wishing now more than ever that she was human one last time- if nothing more than to shed a few tears for all they'd lost today.

 _ **Did we … save … humanity?**_ she asked, looking to Vale for some sort of reassurance upon noticing the gloomy faces of those around her- the Simulacrum didn't have the heart to tell her the true reason they all were mourning.

"Yes," she comforted her, "we did it. We saved humanity."

Rather than a word, a feeling of pure jubilance suddenly sprung into each of their minds as the Architect rejoiced. _**Then perhaps … I have helped … right the wrongs … of the Architects.**_

Slowly, the strength in her hand began to fade. Vale gripped it desperately, willing the Architect to hold on- but she knew it was in vain.

 _ **I … am honored … to call myself … one of you …**_

Finally, Al'cor found peace. Laying her hand over her chest, Vale stepped away once more and turned to look out the window of the drop-bay with everyone else. This would not be the last friend they'd lose today.

They watched as the _Inferno_ spiraled downward, flames and smoke trailing from every conceivable spot on its exterior. AA fire rained upon it as part of Spyglass's futile efforts to survive- but Barker's blaze of glory would not allow for such an outcome.

It finally crashed right in front of the fold-weapon, nearly crushing itself in the process. A series of explosions traveled up its side as every reactor, every fuel cell ignited at once- right next to the portal. For a moment, the blue orb was still- then it exploded in a massive shockwave that dispersed in every direction and shattered the very foundation of the fold-weapon. The rings collapsed on themselves and the platforms as its base crumbled and began to sink into the depths below the sea where it had been constructed.

They remained silent in respect and admiration for their fallen- the ones who had made their last stand here in the name of freedom for all. Not just Tobias and KT, but the thousands of Embers and civilian forces that had willingly given their very lives in the hope that others would not have to give theirs.

The ship sped up and into orbit where it would wait out the ensuing destabilization of the portal- and the eventual collapse of the planet.

* * *

 ** _A/N: No, the story is not over yet. Got one more chapter and the epilogue. Hang tight._**


	36. I'm Sorry

He'd almost been there … he'd almost crossed that final threshold between day and night, that moment where he'd fade away and join the stars among the sky …

And then everything started blowing up.

"… _T-Tobias? "_

"Yeah," he wheezed, feeling like there was a knife in his lungs each time he took a breath. "I'm h-here." _Maybe not for long, though._ He was lightheaded and exhausted from the blood-loss; it was taking every ounce of energy he had left just to stay awake.

" _I d-didn't think you'd w-wake up …"_

"I didn't think so … e-either," he murmured, "but that was … one h-hell of a racket. What happened?"

" _Captain T-Taube crashed the frigate i-into the p-portal. The explosion s-successfully d-destabilized it, and destroyed Spyglass's n-network."_

"And … the others?"

" _I o-ordered them to e-evacuate beforehand … they're s-safe."_

He gave a small sigh of relief which he regretted immediately due to the stabbing pain that followed. "T-thanks, Kay. It … it was the right call."

Groaning from just the small movement of lifting his arm, he rebooted the ocular systems and let it fall back to his side. The monitors in front of him gave him a rather clear picture- the flaming wreckage of the _Inferno_ had mixed with the debris of the demolished fold-weapon and its rings. He and KT appeared to be trapped on their under a large beam that had fallen across their legs- and in a few inches of rising seawater.

"Where … are we?"

" _The c-cavern beneath the ocean w-where Spyglass c-constructed the w-weapon in secret. The b-border walls have c-cracked- it's filling up with w-water."_

He looked around the massive chamber to see that she was right- the walls which had kept water out for so long had broken from the _Inferno's_ impact, and they wouldn't stop the flow of water forever. Already, those few inches were now half a foot deep; but that wasn't what concerned him the most.

"And that?" he asked quietly, focusing on the enormous blue ball of energy that seemed to be growing above them. Lighting arced over its surface and it pulsated erratically with each passing second.

" _The p-portal is becoming un-unsustainable. When it r-reaches the breaking p-point, it will envelop e-everything around i-it- as well as ob-obliterate the p-planet before d-disappearing."_

"Well … we'll have a g-great view … of the fireworks."

The two of them were silent for a few moments, content to entertain themselves by watching as the crackling orb of Codex-energy continued to expand. Its aura bathed them both and the rest of the cavern in a luminous blue glow, one which caught Tobias' attention and made him realize what he needed to do. At last, he broke the silence.

"… I'm sorry."

" _It's a-alright,"_ KT hushed him. _"Just r-relax-"_

"No, this … this needs to be said."

He adjusted himself in his seat, feeling the dried blood caked onto his skin and armor crack as he did so. "I'm sorry for b-breaking my promises. I'm sorry for … for not being brave enough to tell you I love you. I'm sorry we n-never found the time to just … live. It was always about survival … about running from fight to fight and … and hoping we were lucky enough to m-make it through the next one- but we never had the chance to slow down … to just be _us."_

The water was beginning to seep through the cracks in KT's chassis now- he could feel the cold wetness pressing against his back, and he knew there wasn't much time left.

"We've been fighting for so long … and now it's finally o-over. No more Codex, no more Inferno … no more anything."

" _We_ _ **have**_ _earned a r-rest, haven't w-we?"_ she whispered warmly, her voice smiling.

"Yeah … we have."

He kept talking as he reconnected to her systems, feeling the link take hold and straining to move their left arm up from the ground.

"So most of all … I'm sorry that I'm not ready."

"… _Tobias?"_

"It'd be so easy to just give in," he muttered weakly, his vision swimming. "To let this all fade away, to sleep and not worry about waking up- but like I've always said … the right choice is usually the hardest one. And I'm not r-ready to give up on us."

"… _So you t-taught me. What's the p-plan?"_

Had their predicament not been so dire, he'd have smiled at her tenacity.

"The capsules," he groaned, marking one of them with the ocular systems. He'd seen it earlier when looking at the portal- it had been cracked open, leaving just enough room for a person to enter. "They were designed … to withstand t-transport through the portal. If anything can survive-"

" _They can,"_ KT finished, beginning to understand excitedly. _"If you c-can manage to m-make your way o-over to one …although i-it's a snowball's ch-chance in hell-"_

"You once told me … our whole relationship i-is a series of snowballs," he chuckled, "and besides- non-zero probability of success."

" _Let's do this."_

Gasping from the pain of moving, he lifted their left arm up and over the front of the chassis- then positioned his fingers along the edges of the hatch. He began to pull, crying out from the strain as it gradually weakened … and finally-

After one last tug, the door opened. With no time to lose, he disconnected and began to pull himself forward- his legs still had only the most limited feeling in them. He grabbed the edges of the opening and pulled himself up, barely feeling as the metal sliced his palms and slicked them with blood. Now on top of the chassis, he lowered the hatch and found KT's optic staring back at him.

"Trust me."

" _Always."_

Pressing his hands against the seals along the side of her 'head', the SERE kit released itself from the hull and allowed access to the data-core within. Once it was in his grasp, he let himself slide off and into the now foot-deep water, no bothering to waste precious energy on climbing down.

Whatever happened next was up to him.

He couldn't even cry or yell from the pain that his torn muscles inflicted upon him as he began to drag himself with one arm through the water towards the capsule- he didn't have the strength anymore. The most he managed were guttural moans that he couldn't help but emit whenever his back and arms protested against him.

Above him, the portal waited for no one. It was getting dangerously close now- soon it would snap back to its singularity point, and if that happened with him outside the capsule- maybe even inside, but he wasn't thinking about that possibility at the moment- it'd all be over.

The meters he traveled across the watery cavern may as well have been miles for how much exertion each one demanded from him. Trailing behind him was a stream of red-water, stained from the blood of his newly-reopened wounds. But none of it mattered- he could only focus on one thought, one mantra that he repeated over and over in his head …

 _One final effort._

His fingers touched the edge of the capsule.

…

The others, sans Gates and Gray who had been prepped for surgery in the medical bay, watched through the shields of the _Cardea's_ hangar doors as the portal suddenly stopped enlarging. In that moment, it snapped back to its original size and unleashed its final stage- a flare of blinding light and energy as the planet of Regis cracked apart and disintegrated in response.

After a moment, it died down for the last time and they saw the results; a collection of massive, floating chunks of what had once been a beautiful planet. For many, it had been their graves.

Vale watched the scene numbly. She knew that what they'd just accomplished had been nothing short of a miracle. Humanity had fought together as one, attacked an omnipotent AI with influence spanning across the galaxy- and managed to survive. Victory had been all but a fantasy in each of their minds- and yet, today it had been made a reality.

But all she could think about was those who wouldn't be able to see it.

" _Lieuten- er, Captain Vale? Ma'am?"_

She had half a mind to just ignore the comlink, to request just five minutes to be alone with her thoughts- but with Barker and Fenrir dead, that left her as the next-in-line to lead the Embers, and that wasn't a duty she could ignore.

"Yes, officer- what is it?"

" _I just thought you'd want to know- we kept track of all active Titans signals to ensure that they made it off the planet safely."_

"And?" she snapped, her patience wearing thin. "What about it?"

" _The chassis requested by Admiral Four and KT-0298 … the signal is gone now- but just before the explosion, its SERE kit was removed and the data-core was pulled."_

For the second time that day, time seemed to freeze.

"What?" she whispered, not daring to believe what she'd just heard. "You mean that …"

" _I don't mean to give false hope- we don't know anything, that's just what the readings told us-"_

"Start scanning the rubble," she ordered, marching away from the hangar and making her way towards the command bridge to the confusion of her teammates. "Scan for anything- a radio broadcast, a data-core signal, hell- an oddly shaped slab of metal, it doesn't matter! I want every last rock in that debris field overturned before we even _consider_ leaving! Do you understand?"

" _Yes, ma'am!"_ he responded at the sudden change in her volume and motivation.

"We're finding those two- I don't care how long it takes!"


	37. Always Together

**SIX YEARS LATER**

For the fourth time in as many minutes, she sighed. Gates looked up at the night sky, the bright and seemingly endless array of stars all twinkling back at her.

"Hon, dinner's ready. You coming in?"

"I'll be there in a minute," she called back, not bothering to turn around from her comfortable position in the grass of their backyard. "You and the kids feel free to dig in."

She didn't hear a response other than the sliding of the door as it closed behind him. Her mind was dwelling on other thoughts- she always became rather nostalgic when looking at the stars.

It had been years since she'd held a gun- longer still since she'd had to use one. How close extinction had been was burned into everyone's minds on that day- and inspired a new level of cooperation and camaraderie among the human race. It hadn't been easy … but they'd managed to rebuild most of what they'd lost.

The Codex had been assumed destroyed with Regis. Vale had become the leader of the Embers and created a temporary, unified government over the frontier. Once the dust settled and the situation had become more stable, she stepped down and retired from the military life as a whole. She and Buck would come by every now and again to check up on them, an event which Gates always looked forward to. There were few enough friends left after the war that she always cherished seeing one.

The others had all gone their separate ways, though they did keep in contact from time to time. Rose had returned to Harmony and retired like she had. That was where the similarities ended- while she and Davis enjoyed the quiet life, he found his status as a war-hero rather enjoyable- especially when it came to drinking free at whatever bar he visited.

Fallon and Gray had opted to remain in their old militant lifestyles; he was helping to train the next generation of soldiers for whatever other unexpected threats that might appear on the horizon, while she had completed physical therapy for her wounds and apparently became an elite operative that deployed to eliminate any remnant forces of New Humanity- mostly Pilots and Titans that had willingly joined Spyglass, knowing what his plan had been.

Physical therapy had been something she and Gray had in common, it seemed. Rubbing her prosthetic leg absentmindedly, she noted with some humor that, despite her own scolding of a particular Pilot for not requesting synthetic digits for his missing fingers, she'd also had some difficulty in accepting the need for an artificial limb at first. It still felt odd at times- she didn't believe the feeling would ever go completely away- but it certainly provided more freedom for her to enjoy time with her family.

And speaking of a certain Pilot …

She thought back to that day, the day where she'd believed the world itself had ended even as everyone celebrated their survival. She thought back to Vale's frantic orders, the hours that turned into days of scouring every last pebble for some sign of Tobias and KT …

They never found them.

The entire ocean bay of the fold-weapon's location had seemingly been absorbed by the portal. Even now, six years later after the incident, wreckage was still being recovered on various worlds- and not all at once. It appeared that, without Spyglass to direct the time and destination for the portal, it had all been scattered across the frontier wildly. Some had materialized instantly while other debris would phase into existence every so often, finding itself years in the future when only seconds had passed from its perspective.

Each time, the seven of them would answer the call and journey to the location in search of answers. Each time, they would be left disappointed.

But Gates hadn't given up hope- and oddly enough, it was because of the stars.

Tobias had once told her about his promise to Kay- how she'd wanted to travel the stars and see untouched worlds, how she wanted to spend her life as a pioneer among the unknown. Gates hadn't understood at the time, all she saw were stars in the sky. But now, she believed she finally grasped why KT had loved the idea so much.

A star wasn't just a ball of gas out in the void of vacuum- its light could be seen millions of miles away, illuminating the path for those you'd never even dream it would affect. In a universe where the natural state was one of bleak dust, and echoes, stars burned bright in defiance. They were symbols that even when everything seemed dark, hope held on and shone all the more brilliantly.

Kay had always wanted to be more than what she was- and Tobias had been the one to show her that she could.

Now, the stars had become Gates' companions every night. She would look up at them and wonder, _are they out there somewhere? Are they forging a a path on new worlds, or did they finally find peace?_

"El … you alright?"

With a smile, she stood up and turned around to face Davis. "I am now. Let's eat- don't wanna let the food get cold."

She walked back to the house with him at her side, thinking on what had finally given her the strength to move on. No matter where they were- whether the two of them were somewhere journeying among the stars or had long since embarked on life's next great adventure- she knew that they would be doing so together.

Always together.

* * *

 _ **A/N: And with that, the Architects series comes to an close.**_

 _ **This series has probably meant the most to me out of any other. It's been a source of many headaches and late nights in trying to figure out exactly how to progress the story, but it's also been one of immense joy- not just for me, but in seeing how much enjoyment you all have gotten out of these stories.**_

 _ **Despite how happy I am to finally complete it, I'm also somewhat saddened- just as I'm sure you all are to some degree as well. It's been an incredible journey, one which I never imagined would take me here- I thought I'd make one short story which maybe a few hundred people would ever see.**_

 _ **Instead, I've been given a fanbase of thousands upon thousands between both FF net and Wattpad, and that short story grew into a a trilogy filled with characters that I've come to love. But as much as it pains me to let them go … I know that their story is complete.**_

 _ **Will I ever make another story in the Architect's universe? Maybe, but certainly not until Titanfall 3 comes out- and even then, it would be with different characters and places to explore. For now, the only thing left is to keep rewriting Inferno, Tempest, and Cinder, then add them to 'The Architect Codex'- that's as far as I've planned concerning the future of the series.**_

 _ **My final thoughts; just as this saga has been an adventure for you all, it's been an adventure for me- and a fun one at that. Whether you stuck around for the writing, the characters, or some other reason, I can't thank you enough for doing so. All of you have helped me in some way- whether it was assisting me in trying to iron out plot-holes, beta reading, or just sending a compliment my way, I've appreciated every last one of you.**_

 _ **Don't think of this as an end, or a goodbye- think of it as an 'I'll see you later'. Think of it as the starting point for new ideas, new stories, and new adventures to be had. Because for every one of you that just finished reading, there's someone out there who's reading about a lonely Pilot and Titan stranded out in the snow for the first time. All of our ends are beginnings for someone else.**_

 _ **Until the next time,**_

 _ **\- Matteoarts**_


	38. Epilogue

_"The reports are coming in now, sir."_

 _"And what do they say?"_

 _"Our initial findings were accurate; Spyglass has been destroyed, and half of Regis along with him. New Humanity is no more."_

 _"Not quite. The head of the snake may have been severed, but the rest of its body may still yet writhe. His doctrines have grown like a fungus, spreading their roots throughout the minds of the weak. Granted, we no longer hover over the edge of extinction- but we have a ways to go before New Humanity's influence disappears forever."_

 _"A wise assessment, sir. I'll look into further eradication of its supporters."_

 _"I'm sure that the new governing body of the frontier will dispatch agents to assist with that as well."_

 _"New governing body? It's been less than twelve hours since the Embers' victory-"_

 _"And I'm sure that their ranks are already being assessed from within for someone to fill the power vacuum that Spyglass left behind."_

 _"With all due respect, sir … should that not be you? With all your information, and the decades of experience you've obtained-"_

 _"The nature of my influence and power requires that I stay in the shadows. The moment I were to reveal myself- all of it would disappear. People respect and fear 'the Advocate' because they do not know them. They do not know if it's a man, a woman, an AI, a collective group of like-minded aristocrats … there's far more to be gained from a lack of identity than the possession of one."_

 _"I understand."_

 _"That does not mean that we are without control, however. Whoever sits at the forefront of whatever new government rises, they will be someone of_ ** _our_** _choosing. Put forth Amelia Vale's name as a nomination."_

 _"The leader of the Embers?"_

 _"The same. If I recall correctly, she has not yet repaid what she owes- having someone indebted to me in the seat of power will provide us with a plethora of new opportunities."_

 _"She's in your debt?"_

 _"Years ago, I saved her life at the urging of another of my investments. I have not yet collected from either of them, but I will not hesitate to do so now."_

 _"I can't believe you saw such a potential use for her so long ago."_

 _"Even a pawn can play a vital role in securing victory for the king. Start spreading the word, let the people begin to whisper her name. She'll be preoccupied with her current search for several days at least, I imagine- plenty of time for inception to occur."_

 _"Speaking of her search …"_

 _"Ah, yes. Four … the defiant reflection."_

 _"Our reports say that he and his Titan were left behind on the surface when the fold-weapon's portal destabilized. The chances of them having survived are astronomical, to say the least- a non-zero probability at best."_

 _"It's more than enough."_

 _"… Sir?"_

 _"… For twenty years, I tried to find him … and, quite by accident, he suddenly resurfaced from seemingly nowhere. He wasn't even trying to hide- that was the issue. I'd never imagined to find him so openly. Even kept his numerical designation, though I suspect he did not fully grasp the importance behind his name. Perhaps he did not remember."_

 _"What would you like us to do?"_

 _"I've spent many of my resources trying to locate him, and spent even more trying to assist him in overthrowing Spyglass. At this point, I'm far too invested to give up now. One way or another … it's time to bring him home."_

 _"Understood, sir. I'll deliver your commands to the proper channels. Primus inter pares."_

 _"Primus inter pares."_

* * *

 _ **A/N: Hello, all. I'm sure many of you are wondering, 'why is he posting another chapter to Cinder? Didn't we already have an epilogue? What's going on?'**_

 _ **Well, I'm here to tell you that the day has arrived- the one that many of you anticipated would come at some point, just three months short of a year ago when this story ended.**_

 _ **The fourth book in the series, and the first in a new trilogy- the 'Ghosts' trilogy- has arrived.**_

 _ **Not only that, but several chapters are already up and available to read right now.**_

 _ **The book's title is 'Six', and it's going to be rather different than what you might expect. There are new characters to love, new worlds to explore, and new concepts to be expanded upon. I can't say anymore without delving into spoiler territory ... but this one's going to be a whopper.**_

 _ **If you'd like to start reading, you can find the story on my author page or simply scroll through the Titanfall stories directory. Hope to see you there.**_

 _ **\- Matteoarts**_


End file.
